THE  EDGE  OF 
THE  WORLD 


•  •   • 


THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 


Cottage  Home  looked  as  if  it  had  just  stepped  out  of  the 
majestic  Rockies  to  get  a  better  view  of  the  morning  sun. 


THE  EDGE 
OF  THE  WORLD 


BY 

EDITH  BLINN 


Illustrations  by  Norma  L.  Virgin 


NEW  YORK 
BRITTON  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 


Copyright,  1919,  by 
BmrrroH  PUBLISHING 


Made  in  U.  S.  A. 
All  rig  hit  reserved 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I    COTTAGE  HOME 1 

II    MOTHER  LEE 7 

III  HER  WESTERN  WORLD 13 

IV  THE  ANT  HILL 22 

V    HER  FLEDGELINGS 26 

VI    FORDING  THE  BIG  THOMPSON 33 

VII    VALLEY  ROSE 42 

VIII  CHRISTMAS  AND  MOTHER  WINTERS    ...     50 

IX    AN  ECCENTRIC  GUEST 59 

X    THE  LONE  COYOTE 67 

XI    FORREST  AND  FERN 76 

XII    HER  EAGLE  EYE .81 

XIII  THE  WITCHERY  OP  THE  FOREST    ....     95 

XIV  FROM  THE  SANDHILLS 102 

XV    HEARTS  CORRALLED 108 

XVI    CHOKECHERRYING 120 

XVII    THE  BOY  TRAMP 128 

XVIII    PRINCE  ARTHUR 139 

XIX  THE  WIND  JUST  BLEW  HER  IN  .     .     .     .148 

XX  THE  SPIDER  AND  THE  LADY-BUG  ....  152 

XXI    MOTHER  LEE'S  NEST  BUILDER 163 


2134380 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXII  NIGHT'S  MAGIC  MELODIES  ......  171 

XXIII  BACK  IN  THE  HARNESS 187 

XXIV  THE  THUNDERBOLT 193 

XXV  THE  HOURS  THEY  WATCHED 200 

XXVI    REVEREND  KNIGHT 298 

XXVII  THE  MOSS-COVERED  ROCK  ......  217 

XXVIII    A  CHILD  OF  THE  MOONBEAMS 224 

XXIX    A  LITTLE  BROWN  CASTLE 231 

XXX    HER  LIFE'S  SUNSET 239 

XXXI    OUT  OF  THE  RUT 250 

XXXII  THE  BURIAL  OF  SWEET  WILLIAM  .     .     .     .258 

XXXIII  HER  WILL  WAS  LAW    .     .     .....     .266 

XXXIV  HER  MIND'S  ACTIVITY  .     .     ...     .     .275 

XXXV  MIGNONETTES      ......    v    .     .  283 

XXXVI    CROSSING  MEDICINE  Bow   .     .     .    >     .     .  291 
EPILOGUE      .  ,    .1    -.     .  303 


MOTHER  LEE 
—SO  MOTHERLY 


THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 


CHAPTER  I 

COTTAGE   HOME 

"T*        M  OTHER    LEE!    Mother    Lee!" 

^L    /•      exclaimed   several  excited  chil- 

^L/          dren,  as  they  came  running  and 

JL   T    JL  tumbling    in    their    anxiety    to 

reach  a  kitchen  door. 

Mother  Lee,  an  old  little  woman  of  Yankee 
type,  came  out  upon  the  porch  and  looked  calmly 
over  her  steel-rimmed  glasses  at  a  chattering 
group  of  breathless  children. 

"Hush  up!  Ev'ry  last  one  of  you,  hush 
up ! "  she  sharply  commanded. 

During  the  brief  silence  that  followed,  pant- 
ing, fanning  and  nudging  went  on  among  the 
children,  their  eyes  snapping  expectantly  as 
they  waited  to  see  which  of  them  Mother  Lee 
would  select  as  spokesman. 

"Now,  what  ails  you?"  addressing  the  oldest. 

"They've  taken  Mrs.  Barnes  to  the  hospital 
and  Mr.  Barnes  can't  be  found.  The  Marshal 

i 


2          THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WOBLD 

lias  all  of  their  children.  We  just  know  he  is 
going  to  put  them  in  the  *  cooler.'  Can't  you 
take  care  of  them,  Mother  Lee!  Can't  you  take 
them  in  with  us  I ' ' 

"In  ev'ry  home  there's  always  room  for 
more.  Go  tell  the  Marshal  to  fetch  them  chil- 
dren to  me ! ' ' 

While  awaiting  the  return  of  the  children 
Mother  Lee  took  a  firm  stand.  With  pride  and 
independence  she  slowly  surveyed  a  graphic 
surrounding — a  picturesque  scene — The  Edge 
Of  The  World  or  The  Jumping  Off  Place  as  it 
was  called,  where  from  the  mouth  of  a  steep, 
rugged,  gigantic  canyon,  a  mountain  road,  in  all 
its  natural  roughness,  bordered  the  uncertain 
banks  of  the  Big  Thompson,  an  irregular  moun- 
tain stream,  and  followed  it  on,  on  down  into  a 
valley  of  rolling  hills  of  sand  and  sage-brush, 
where  it  branched  off  in  various  directions  to 
the  scattered  ranches  dotted  here  and  there 
over  a  vast  expanse  of  sun-baked,  alkalied  land. 

From  the  entrance  to  the  canyon  and  at  the 
foot  of  a  dense  and  almost  perpendicular  forest 
of  stately  pine,  stretched  a  small  plateau  of 
smooth,  level  lawn  that  looked  as  clean  as  if  it 
had  been  swept  with  a  broom.  Not  a  trace  of 
flower  or  shrubbery  marred  its  smoothness.  On 
one  corner  of  the  lawn  stood  a  large,  white  barn 
sheltered  from  the  winter's  draught  by  the  wall 
of  pine.  On  the  other,  and  overlooking  a  small 
mountain  town,  stood  a  one-room,  white-washed 


COTTAGE  HOME  3 

jail,  half  buried  in  the  soil.  A  bright  red,  brick 
driveway  led  from  the  mountain  road  to  a  two- 
story,  white  frame  house  with  green  shutters, 
over  the  kitchen  door  of  which  hung  a  sign : 

COTTAGE  HOME 

Welcome 
To  those  who  need  comfort  and  rest. 

All  in  all  Cottage  Home  looked  as  if  it  had 
just  stepped  out  of  the  great,  majestic  Rockies, 
not  only  to  welcome  its  guests  but  to  get  a  bet- 
ter view  of  the  morning  sun. 

The  interior  of  Cottage  Home  had  much  the 
same  clean  kept  appearance  as  the  exterior: 
Not  even  a  mirror,  a  picture,  draperies  nor  lace 
curtains.  No  rockers  nor  lounging  sofas.  Not 
a  book,  a  magazine ;  not  even  a  newspaper  was 
to  be  seen. 

In  the  centre  of  the  kitchen  stood  a  large  cook 
stove.  Close  to  it  was  a  long  pine  table.  On 
a  south  window-sill  sat  a  little  brown  sewing 
basket;  an  old  alarm  clock  with  an  occasional 
squeak  in  its  tick ;  a  pair  of  field-glasses  and  a 
tomato  can  filled  with  matches.  Back  of  the 
stove  was  an  old-fashioned  cradle;  a  wood-box 
and  a  row  of  clean  lanterns. 

Adjoining  was  a  spacious  corner  room  used 
for  emergencies,  such  as  weddings,  and  funerals 
and  cases  of  typhoid.  In  the  dining-room  was 
a  long  table  covered  with  a  dark  blue  checkered 


4          THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

cloth  and  surrounded  by  plain  wooden  chairs. 
Each  of  the  uncarpeted  upstairs  rooms  con- 
sisted of  a  clean  bed;  a  solitary  chair  and  a 
hook  on  the  inside  of  each  door. 

Such  were  the  cold,  clear  eccentricities  of 
Mother  Lee,  the  sole  owner  of  Cottage  Home, 
and  a  "Hard-Shelled  Baptist,"  as  she  often 
called  herself. 

The  title  "Mother"  had  been  given  to  her 
early  in  life  when  she  was  placed  at  the  head  of 
a  family  of  brothers  and  sisters.  Later  she  was 
mother  to  a  large  family  of  her  own,  and  still 
later  she  was  not  only  a  "Mother"  to  grand- 
children and  mountain  waifs,  but  "Mother"  to 
everybody  who  chanced  to  come  along.  She 
was  educated,  having  taught  school  on  the 
frontiers;  was  a  close  observer  and  a  good 
reader  of  human  nature.  Her  active  little  body 
was  constantly  on  the  move  from  five  o'clock  in 
the  morning  until  ten  at  night.  If  she  were  not 
cooking  a  meal  or  mending  something,  she  was 
listening  to  some  one's  tale  of  woe  or  giving 
advice  or  scolding  or  telling  stories  to  her 
"fledgelings,"  as  she  called  the  children  to 
whom  she  gave  shelter.  Her  one  mission  on 
earth,  so  it  seemed  to  her,  was  her  interest  in 
others.  She  was  almost  fiendish  at  times  in 
others'  personal  concerns.  She  was  so  shrewd, 
so  keen  in  her  detection,  that  she  bore  the  fa- 
miliar sobriquet  of  "Hawk  Eye."  In  many 
things  she  was  contrary,  yet  philosophic. 


COTTAGE  HOME  5 

Should  some  one  close  a  shutter,  she  would  im- 
mediately open  it,  and  sing  in  an  off  key : 

"Lift  the  curtain  of  your  window, 
Always  open  wide  your  heart." 

Although  there  was  a  key  in  every  door, 
Mother  Lee  would  never  allow  one  to  be  turned. 

" Locked  doors  create  suspicion,"  she  would 
say. 

During  the  day  every  one,  even  her  "  fledge- 
lings" had  access  to  her  bank  which  was  beneath 
the  oilcloth  covering  on  the  edge  of  the  kitchen 
table.  But  at  night  her  scanty  deposits  were 
transferred  to  the  match  can  which  she  always 
carried  to  her  bed,  frequently  remarking: 

*  *  No  use  leaving  temptations  around  for  them 
rum-hounds. ' ' 

The  patrons  of  Cottage  Home  were  the 
weather-beaten  giants  of  a  rugged  open  world ; 
the  sturdy  wood-choppers  from  the  timberlands ; 
the  mountain  trappers  with  their  musk  and 
skunk  scented  clothing;  the  robust  Swedes  from 
the  stone  quarries  and  plaster  mills;  the  tall, 
raw-boned  ranchers  from  the  valley  below;  an 
occasional  stranger  and  frequently  a  tramp. 

The  one  conspicuous  characteristic  was  the 
speechless  silence  of  those  giants  who  con- 
stantly came  and  went.  The  nearest  approach 
to  a  word  from  any  one  of  them  was  a  grunt  of 
recognition  now  and  then,  accompanied  by  a 
quick,  snappy  nod  of  the  head,  if  he  were  not 


6          THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

too  deeply  absorbed  in  himself,  and  nine  chances 
out  of  ten  he  was. 

"When  people  live  alone  in  a  silent  world, 
they  forget  how  to  talk.  Besides,  'Silence  is 
Golden,'  "  said  Mother  Lee  more  than  once  to 
some  talkative  stranger,  in  explaining  away  the 
mysterious  silence  of  her  guests  who  always 
entered  by  way  of  the  kitchen,  received  from 
her  a  plate  of  steaming  food  and  a  large  cup 
of  coffee  and  in  mute  attitude  lumbered  to  the 
dining-room  where  each,  apparently  uncon- 
scious of  the  others  at  the  table,  gulped  down 
his  meal,  after  which  he  gathered  up  his  empty 
dishes,  returned  with  them  to  the  kitchen  and 
without  comment  deposited  in  the  bank  beneath 
the  oilcloth  the  amount  he  felt  inclined  to  pay, 
it  being  one  of  Mother  Lee 's  peculiarities,  never 
to  place  a  valuation  upon  what  she  did  for 
others. 

* '  Cast  thy  bread  upon  the  waters  and  it  floats 
back  to  you,"  she  was  often  heard  to  say. 


CHAPTER 

MOTHEK 


G 


OD  is  like  a  great,  big,  good  farmer. 
With  his  broad,  strong  shoulders 
and  powerful  hands  he  has  scat- 
_  _  tered  over  this  earth  of  ours,  this 
beautiful  garden  of  flowers  and  trees  which  he 
has  so  graciously  loaned  to  us,  his  five  human 
seeds  :  the  Indian,  the  Mongolian,  the  Malayan, 
the  Ethiopian  and  the  Caucasian.  Like  all 
seeds,  they  are  planted  and  come  forth  from  the 
dark,  the  unknown,  and  develop  into  dear, 
helpless  sprouts,  with  bright  eyes,  smooth  skin 
and  chubby,  restless  hands  and  feet.  .We  call 
them  babies  —  our  babies.7' 

The  low-measured  voice  of  Mother  Lee  floated 
out  in  sweet  monotone  through  an  open  kitchen 
window,  followed  by  the  faint,  rapid  clicks  of 
her  knitting  needles. 

A  stray  sun-ray  shot  down  in  fiery  heat  from 
a  noonday  sky  and  plainly  portrayed  Mother 
Lee's  blue-  veined,  knotted  hands  manipulating 
the  steel  knitting  needles  that  sent  dancing  re- 
flections upon  the  white,  plastered  wall  as  they 
rapidly  wove  the  red  woolen  yarn. 

7 


8          THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

She  had  stopped  speaking  to  look  over  her 
glasses  at  a  group  of  little  faces,  attentive  in 
expression.  She  resumed: 

''This  mighty  God-farmer  never  eats,  never 
sleeps,  nor  weeps  but  travels  along  facing  all 
kinds  of  hardships.  In  storm  and  in  sunshine 
he  is  always  at  his  post.  He  selects  from  his 
golden  pan  the  most  perfect  seeds  he  can  find 
and  with  a  mighty  sweep  of  his  hand  he  scatters 
them  to  the  four  winds,  the  east,  the  west,  the 
north  and  the  south.  At  first  when  his  world 
was  young,  his  task  was  an  easy  one.  But 
when  those  little  seeds  took  root  and  multiplied 
he  was  forced  to  accept  a  help-mate,  the  Devil, 
by  name. 

"This  help-mate  soon  proved  to  be  a  very 
bad  farmer  for  he  would  pick  out  all  the  small, 
withered,  polluted  seeds  and  laugh  with  mockery 
to  see  them  sprout  and  grow  in  the  dark,  hid- 
den places  the  God-farmer  had  forgotten 
about. 

"But  you  must  glance  at  a  full  grown  person 
to  understand  which  farmer  sowed  that  seed 
because  all  those  bright-eyed,  smooth-skinned, 
chubby-handed  babies  give  us  no  clue.  Out  of 
their  tender  and  innocent  years  leaps  a  spark 
that  kindles  the  flame,  may  it  be  good  or  evil, 
love  or  hatred,  kindness  or  cruelty.  That  babe 
must  grow  up  to  prove  its  worth.'* 

Again  Mother  Lee  ceased  speaking  and 
peered  down  over  her  glasses.  Several  tiny 


MOTHER  LEE  9 

shoulders  jerked  forcibly  back,  while  a  look  of 
fear  shone  in  the  circle  of  excited  eyes. 

"But  there  is  a  medicine  that  can  cure  all 
such  cases.  Not  a  medicine  that  we  take  with 
a  spoon  but  a  medicine  we  have  in  our  brains — 
a  medicine  which  acts  like  magic  when  we  un- 
derstand how  to  use  it — a  great  tonic  we  must 
all  learn  about. ' ' 

A  general  dragging  of  chairs  over  a  bare 
floor  and  a  profusion  of  nudging  and  worming 
closer,  caused  quite  a  commotion  which  Mother 
Lee  quickly  put  an  end  to  by  saying  as  she 
looked  at  the  sun : 

"Come — scamper!  It's  dinner  time" — lay- 
ing aside  her  knitting  and  starting  to  prepare 
dinner.  "Keep  in  mind  what  I've  told  you," 
and  reaching  out,  she  took  from  a  knife-box  a 
pair  of  well-worn  shears  and  began  cutting 
pieces  of  beefsteak  into  a  hot  skillet. 

The  sizzling  of  beefsteak,  the  constant 
slamming  of  the  screen  door,  the  rattling  of 
heavy  china  dishes  and  the  voiceless  caravan  of 
giants,  lumbering  over  the  carpetless  floor  on 
their  way  to  and  from  the  dining-room,  held 
sway  for  the  next  half  hour. 

As  the  kitchen  door  slammed  behind  the  last 
of  Mother  Lee's  departing  guests,  there  was  a 
general  rush.  Her  hungry  little  "fledgelings" 
crowded  around  the  long  pine  table.  She  cuffed 
them  about  until  she  had  them  all  seated  and 
choking  down  the  food  she  placed  before  them. 


10        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

"The  one  who  eats  the  most  mush  and  milk 
gets  the  biggest  piece  of  pie,"  she  said  with  a 
twinkle  in  her  blue  eyes. 

When  Mother  Lee  put  away  most  of  the  pie, 
the  older  children  washed  the  dishes  while  the 
younger  ones  took  up  lighter  tasks. 

A  chubby,  freckled  little  fellow,  known  as 
"  Prince "  Arthur,  crossed  the  big  kitchen  and 
resumed  his  daily  chore  of  cleaning  lanterns. 

"Guess  I  won't  have  to  bother  with  old  Joe's 
lantern  this  week." 

"How's  that?"  asked  Mother  Lee,  overhear- 
ing the  remark. 

"He's  in  the  'cooler'  again." 

"Serves  him  right.  He  should  keep  sober." 
Then  after  a  pause:  "Has  he  had  any  water 
to-day?" 

"I  started  to  give  him  some,  but  the  Marshal 
stopped  me.  Said :  *  Let  him  be  punished. '  ' 

"Well,  the  Marshal  hasn't  the  whole  say. 
The  'cooler's'  on  my  property." 

Just  then  a  low  wail  brought  Mother  Lee 
peeringly  to  the  door. 

"What  in  thunderation  is  that?" 

"It's  Joe,  hollering  for  a  drink." 

"Let  him  holler — holler  his  head  off,"  going 
to  the  stove  and  putting  some  loaves  of  bread 
into  the  oven. 

"He's  one  of  the  bad  farmer's  seeds,  isn't 
he,  Mother  Lee?"  questioned  one  of  the 
children. 


MOTHEE  LEE  11 

"Rum-hounds  are  all  bad,"  she  answered 
scowlingly. 

"Can't  he  learn  about  the  tonic?" 

"We're  never  too  old  to  learn,  and  we'll  teach 
him  a  lesson  right  now.  Go  fetch  me  the  long- 
necked  bottle ! ' ' 

"I'll  get  it,"  cried  several,  bounding  out  of 
the  kitchen,  closely  followed  by  Mother  Lee. 

"Here  it  is,  filled  with  water." 

"What  ails  you?    He  can't  drink  this." 

"That's  mine,"  called  a  small  voice  from  the 
doorway.  "I'm  making  hair-snakes." 

"Yes,  Babe  won't  have  any  tail  left  if  you 
keep  on  making  hair-snakes,"  broke  in  one  of 
the  older  boys. 

Mother  Lee  emptied  the  bottle,  filled  it  with 
fresh  water  and,  followed  by  several  of  her 
"fledgelings,"  went  to  a  small,  barred  window 
of  the  white-washed  jail  where  a  red  face, 
fringed  in  by  shaggy,  grey  hair  and  whiskers, 
was  peering  eagerly  out.  She  pushed  the  neck 
of  the  bottle  through  the  grating  and  only  a 
gurgling  sound  could  be  heard. 

"God  bless  you,  Mother!"  was  old  Joe's 
hoarse  whisper  of  thanks  when  she  withdrew 
the  empty  bottle. 

"Don't  call  me  Mother,  you  sot!" 

"I  swear  this  is  my  last  offence,  Mother.  Get 
me  released  and  I'll  work  like  a  trooper." 

"Let  me  tell  you,  Joe  Smith,  you  had  better 
let  it  be  your  last.  That  wasn't  water  you 


12        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

drank.  That's  a  new  discovery,  and  if  you  ever 
touch  another  drop  of  rum  you'll  drop  dead  in 
your  tracks." 

"What!" 

" Don't  'what'  me!  I'm  telling  you  the 
truth." 

"God!    But  will  it  stop  the  craving!" 

"No,  but  a  big,  juicy  onion  will.  The  next 
time  you  feel  you  must  have  a  drink,  you  just 
eat  an  onion.  It  will  give  you  instant  relief 
and  you  won't  want  rum." 

1 '  God  bless  you,  Mother !    I  '11  try. '  > 

"There's  no  try  about  it.  Nothing  left  but 
death  or  an  onion." 

Turning  abruptly,  she  made  her  way  across 
the  lawn,  picking  up  empty  flasks  and  tossing 
them  in  a  heap  as  she  went  along. 

"Voting  a  town  dry  will  never  keep  booze 
from  rum-hounds.  The  only  way  to  stop  drink- 
ing is  to  stop  making  the  stuff.  Go  fetch  my 
shawl  and  hat  and  I'll  see  the  Marshal.  The 
*  cooler'  is  chilly  at  night — old  Joe  has  the 
rheumatism." 


CHAPTER  in 

HER  WESTERN   WORLD 

BIG  Dave  Berkley  was  a  lumberman. 
He  had  lived  among  the  giant  pines 
all  his  life.  He  was  a  powerful 
fellow  but  his  head  was  as  empty  as 
his  life.  His  parents  died  when  he  was  a  small 
boy.  His  mules  were  his  only  living  com- 
panions for  years,  until  he  had  met  a  quarter- 
bred  squaw  and  married  her  after  a  fashion. 
She  lived  long  enough  to  give  him  a  son  and  a 
taste  of  what  human  life  really  was.  The  birth 
of  his  son  had  been  the  only  big  event  of  his 
life.  His  excitement  was  so  great  that  he  went 
out  and  picked  a  bunch  of  wildflowers  and 
placed  them  in  a  tin  cup  beside  his  wife's  bunk. 
But  the  next  morning  when  she  lay  dead,  he  was 
at  a  complete  loss  as  to  what  to  do.  Alone  with 
a  dead  wife  and  a  live  child  to  look  after !  He 
did  not  hesitate  long.  He  just  knew  he  had  a 
duty  to  perform  so  he  hewed  out  one  of  the 
largest  spruce  trunks  and  with  trembling  hands 
placed  his  dead  wife  of  the  forest  into  it  and 
buried  her  not  far  from  his  cabin  door.  It  was 
all  he  could  do  under  the  circumstances.  As  for 
the  child,  of  course,  he  had  no  place  for  it,  so 

13 


14        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WOKLD 

he  bundled  it  up  and  held  it  in  one  arm  while 
he  drove  down  the  rough  canyon  road  to  Cottage 
Home.  The  only  thought  that  entered  his  mind, 
was,  that  the  earth  was  for  the  dead  and  a  live 
mother  for  a  live  babe  and  Mother  Lee  was  the 
only  "Mother"  he  knew — the  only  one  he  would 
trust  with  his  treasure,  his  little  son,  Forrest. 
That  was  the  name  his  wife  had  given  their  child 
before  she  died. 

"A  man  like  me  ain't  got  much  knowledge 
'bout  babies.  Take  him  and  rear  him  the  very 
best  you  can  and  I'll  haul  all  your  wood,  free  of 
charge,  for  the  rest  of  my  life." 

The  bargain  was  settled  and  little  Forrest 
was  put  in  the  home-made  cradle  back  of  the  big 
cook  stove,  in  the  kitchen,  where  he  remained 
until  he  was  able  to  waddle  about,  and  later  to 
follow  the  other  children  out  into  the  open  air. 
He  grew  rapidly  and  became  more  handsome 
every  day.  His  big  brown  eyes  and  heavy  black 
hair,  cropped  to  his  little  square  shoulders,  were 
commented  upon  by  every  one.  His  brown  skin 
was  as  smooth  as  velvet.  His  pronounced  love 
for  his  father  was  his  greatest  characteristic. 
A  sort  of  mental  communion  seemed  to  pass  be- 
tween him  and  the  big  man  of  the  mountains, 
for,  often  with  a  start,  little  Forrest  would 
bound  up  from  his  play  and  shout : 

"Pop's  nigh  due!  Pop's  coming!"  and 
nothing  could  stop  his  flying  little  feet  up  the 
hot  dusty  road  to  the  mouth  of  the  canyon — 


HER  WESTERN  WORLD  15 

always  returning  on  the  very  top  of  a  load  of 
logs. 

Once  or  twice  every  month  Dave  Berkley 
made  the  trip  down  out  of  the  mountains  for  a 
fresh  stock  of  provisions,  mostly  jams  and 
home-made  bread  from  Cottage  Home. 

His  one  room  cabin  was  built  of  logs.  Its 
roof  and  floor  was  of  dirt.  There  was  a  small 
window  at  either  end  and  a  wooden  door  in 
front.  The  bunk,  table  and  chairs  he  had  hewn 
out  of  rough  slabs  from  the  saw-mill.  The  only 
piece  of  purchased  furniture  was  the  sheet-iron 
stove  which  rested  on  stones  that  were  partly 
buried  in  the  dirt  floor. 

When  Big  Dave  was  not  working  among  the 
giant  pines,  he  was  either  smoking  his  pipe  at 
the  cabin  door  or  sleeping  upon  his  bunk.  He 
ate  from  the  same  white,  enameled  plate  three 
times  a  day.  Sometimes,  when  he  scraped  the 
leavings  to  a  chained  coyote  that  paced  rest- 
lessly at  the  corner  of  the  cabin,  the  long, 
slender  tongue  of  the  hungry  beast  would  touch 
the  plate  in  her  eagerness  to  get  the  scraps. 
Big  Dave  would  only  laugh  and  say: 

"What's  the  diff>  ol'  Pard?  Your  tongue's 
as  clean  as  mine." 

He  never  varied  in  his  daily  routine.  He 
would  crawl  from  his  bunk  at  sunrise,  build  a 
fire,  put  on  the  coffee  pot  and  then  go  out  and 
feed  the  mules.  Returning,  he  would  drink  his 
black  coffee  and  eat  his  half-cooked  bacon  and 


beans.  It  was  always  the  rattling  chain  at  the 
corner  of  the  cabin  that  reminded  him  to  feed 
the  half-starved  coyote. 

All  day  Big  Dave  kept  on  felling  trees.  At 
sundown,  both  man  and  mules  returned,  tired 
and  sweaty.  The  clinking  of  the  log-chains 
dragging  at  the  heels  of  the  mules,  and  an  occa- 
sional curse,  were  always  glad  tidings  to  the 
lone  coyote,  dancing  and  pulling  at  her  chain — 
her  red  tongue  gleaming  against  her  white 
teeth. 

As  the  first  shadows  of  night  crept  in  among 
those  tall,  giant  pines,  Big  Dave  always  sat 
tilted  back  against  the  logs,  at  the  door  of  his 
cabin,  quietly  puffing  his  pipe  while  the  coyote 
restlessly  paced.  He  was  never  lonesome — 
never  knew  what  lonesomeness  was.  He  never 
thought  of  having  a  garden — never  thought  of 
having  chickens — nor  a  cow — nor  having  hogs. 

The  coyote  was  a  captive  of  his  squaw  wife 
who  had  picked  it  up  when  it  was  very  young, 
chained  it  to  the  cabin  and  nursed  it  to  full 
growth. 

Big  Dave  never  thought  of  turning  it  loose ; 
simply  fed  and  watered  it  and  let  it  pace  in  its 
own  short,  furrowed  path. 

A  visit  to  Cottage  Home,  apparently,  was  the 
one  real  pleasure  in  Big  Dave's  life.  But  not 
so.  It  was  simply  something  that  was  part  of 
himself.  He  never  kissed  his  child — never 
thought  of  kissing  him.  But  his  big,  rough 


HER  WESTERN  WORLD  17 

hands  were  always  gentle  when  he  caught  up  the 
little  brown  tot  from  the  hot,  dusty  road  and 
seated  him  on  the  top  of  a  load  of  ties. 

But  little  Forrest  was  of  a  different  nature. 
His  longing  eyes  always  looked  in  the  direction 
of  the  steep,  rugged  road  which  led  up  into  the 
mysterious  mountains.  Why  was  he  not  al- 
lowed to  accompany  his  father  up  there?  He 
had  never  heard  any  one  speak  of  his  mother. 
All  he  had  been  told  was  that  he  had  been 
brought  down  from  the  mountains.  Constantly 
cherishing  the  hope  that  he  would  some  day  ex- 
plore them,  he  grew  into  a  tall,  straight  lad  of 
fourteen.  His  studious  mind  made  him  quiet  of 
disposition  and  he  seemed  to  stand  apart  from 
the  rest  of  the  children,  always  listening  to  their 
questions  which  Mother  Lee  promptly  answered. 

''Yes,  I'm  sure  all  you  children  are  from  the 
God- farmer's  pan,  and  He  planted  you,  For- 
rest, to  grow  into  a  big  man  with  bigger  ideas 
than  your  father  has,"  said  Mother  Lee  as  she 
turned  to  him.  * '  Your  father  has  no  gumption 
whatsoever.  He  could  have  been  the  biggest 
timber  man  in  this  country,  but  he  says  he  just 
cuts  enough  logs  to  keep  the  wolf  from  the  door. 
Forrest  means  something  big  and  noble.  Away 
up  there  in  them  mountains  are  hundreds  and 
hundreds  of  small  trees.  They  are  going  to 
grow  up  with  you  and  give  you  a  chance  to  earn 
all  the  money  your  father  should  have  earned. 
You  must  study  the  different  kinds  of  forests, 


18        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

then  learn  the  many  species  of  trees ;  their  best 
usages  and  real  values.  That's  why  I  have 
given  you  charge  of  the  wood-pile." 

Mother  Lee  began  poking  about  the  wood-box. 

"Go  fetch  me  a  pitch  knot!" 

Forrest  hurried  out  and  soon  returned  with 
several  and  stood  watching  her  until  she  finished 
poking  one  of  them  into  the  fire. 

"Who's  that  man  out  there?" 

Mother  Lee  was  peering  through  the  kitchen 
window. 

Forrest  followed  her  gaze  and  promptly 
answered : 

'  *  That 's  a  tramp  I  put  to  work  about  an  hour 
ago." 

She  secretly  smiled  as  she  viewed  a  good-sized 
pile  of  kindling  wood. 

"Do  you  find  trouble  getting  men  to  cut  your 
wood  ? ' ' 

' l  Nope,  the  tracks  are  full  of  them. ' ' 

"Oh!    You  go  and  look  them  up." 

"Yep.  That  is,  I  put  up  a  sign  just  over  the 
hill,  near  the  tracks,  about  the  size  of  the  one 
you  have  over  your  door,  and  on  it  I  wrote: 
'  Come  over  to  Cottage  Home  and  cut  wood  for 
a  meal.' ' 

"Well!  I  see  you're  beginning  to  exercise 
your  mentality.  You  should.  Bosses  should 
have  good  manners  and  good  thinking  brains." 

"Section  bosses  haven't." 

"But  I  want  you  to  be  an  educated  sort  of  a 


HER  WESTERN  WORLD  19 

boss — one  who  works  in  fine  clothes  and  good 
offices.  Go  ask  that  man  if  he  wants  boiled  beef 
or  eggs." 

"Oh,  he  wants  beefsteak," — letting  his  small, 
slender  hand  go  to  his  own  stomach. 

"He'll  get  soup.  How  many  times  have  I 
told  you  that  a  starved  stomach  needs  liquid 
food?" 

Forrest  sauntered  out  to  the  wood-pile  and 
after  a  moment's  observation,  said: 

"You're  a  pretty  old  seed,  aren't  you?" 

The  tottering  old  man  let  the  ax  rest  on  a 
half  split  log,  and  with  a  shaky  hand,  mopped 
his  brow  with  a  piece  of  bandanna. 

"Pretty  old  seed  is  right,  lad.  Not  much 
good,  now — never  was." 

' '  Oh,  I  beg  your  pardon.  I  have  no  doubt  but 
that  you  came  from  the  golden  pan.  The  only 
trouble  is,  you  didn't  grow  up  right." 

For  a  second  the  blear  eyes  of  the  old  man 
rested  upon  the  earnest  face  of  the  boy. 

"God,  lad — I  guess  not.  My  life's  been  all 
wrong." 

"You're  not  dead  yet." 

"Might  as  well  be.  The  world  has  little  use 
for  the  old  and  helpless." 

"You're  not  helpless.  You've  split  more 
wood  than  the  last  man,  and  he  was  lots  younger 
than  you." 

The  old  man  quickly  raised  the  ax  above  his 
head. 


"Did  you  always  cut  wood?" 

"No.    I'm  a  painter  by  trade." 

"Painter?    Can  you  paint  a  house?" 

"I  can  paint  anything." 

"You  just  paint  Mother  Leers  house  and 
she'll  let  you  stick  here  as  long  as  you  live." 

The  old  man  laid  aside  the  ax  and  sat  down 
upon  a  log,  earnestly  viewing  Cottage  Home. 
He  slowly  answered : 

"  It 's  a  bargain.  I  think  we  '11  come  out  about 
even  on  the  job." 

' l  Come  on  into  the  house !  We  '11  talk  it  over 
with  Mother  Lee.  She'll  consent,  I  know," — 
and  with  shoulders  thrown  back,  Forrest 
proudly  led  the  old  man  into  the  kitchen. 

Mother  Lee,  after  listening  to  the  boy  and 
sizing  up  the  old  man  in  general,  said: 

"I  think  when  he's  fed  up  he  may  be  able  to 
do  the  work. ' ' 

"I  assure  you,  madame,  it's  only  starvation." 

"Don't  dictate  to  me!  Look  at  your  face. 
You've  been  a  rum-hound  all  your  life." 

' '  We  'd  better  give  him  the  onion  cure, ' '  broke 
in  Forrest. 

The  old  man  turned  and  stared  at  the  boy 
uncomprehendingly. 

1  *  We  '11  give  him  soup.  Wash  your  hands  and 
face  in  that  bucket  of  suds,  then  sit  down  here ! ' ' 

The  old  man  obeyed. 

"What's  your  name?" 


HER  WESTEEN  WORLD  21 

"As  far  back  as  I  remember,  they  called  me 
*  Sweet  William.'  " 

Mother  Lee  closely  scrutinised  the  old  man, 
half  expecting  him  to  smile,  but  his  seriousness 
caused  her  to  exclaim : 

"You  don't  look  like  Sweet  William  to  me," — 
then  turning  abruptly,  she  continued:  "I 
thought  I  saw  Old  Joe  outside." 

"Here  I  am,  Mother,"  answered  Joe,  enter- 
ing the  kitchen.  "I  got  the  cook's  job  at  the 
ditch  camp." 

"Well,  take  this  grub  and  be  off  before  that 
rum  notion  gets  a  hold  on  you  again. ' ' 

"God  forbid!  That  last  onion  must  have 
come  from  the  pits  of  Hell,"  and  old  Joe  shook 
his  head  as  he  went  out. 

Sweet  William,  who  had  finished  his  meal, 
stole  cautiously  from  the  kitchen.  Mother  Lee, 
waiting  until  he  reached  the  porch,  said  coldly : 

"If  you  intend  to  make  this  your  home,  get 
rid  of  that  bottle  in  your  hip  pocket ! ' ' 

Sweet  William  grunted  and  then  hobbled  off 
to  the  main  road.  With  a  sudden  impulse  he 
flung  the  flask  against  a  protruding  boulder,  and 
with  pronounced  determination  threw  back  his 
bent  shoulders  and  began  to  retrace  his  steps. 

From  the  kitchen  window  Mother  Lee  had 
been  watching.  A  smile  of  satisfaction  crossed 
her  face  as  she  saw  Sweet  William  pause  at  the 
woodpile  and  mathematically  survey  the  house. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  ANT   HILL 

0  fetch  me  a  bucket  of  water  from 
the  big  ditch!" 
Mother  Lee  spoke  sharply  as  she 

stepped  out  onto  the  porch  and 

looked  at  Harry,  who  was  a  past  master  at 
feigning  illness  to  get  out  of  going  to  school. 

He  started  at  her  sharp  command  but  con- 
tinued his  boyish  prank  of  dripping  honey  from 
a  slice  of  bread  onto  the  end  of  a  stick. 

"Do  you  hear  me?" 

"Y-e-s,"  drawled  Harry. 

4 'Then  heed  me!" 

Harry  arose,  crowding  the  rest  of  the  bread 
into  his  mouth,  caught  up  a  bucket  and 
sauntered  off. 

Mother  Lee's  attention  was  then  drawn  to 
Brunell,  the  general  storekeeper,  who  was  com- 
ing toward  her  with  a  determined  step. 

"No  use  of  you  bringing  that  bill  again. 
I'll  pay  it  when  I  get  good  and  ready.  In  the 
first  place  you  had  no  right  to  let  them  loafers 
use  my  name. ' ' 

Brunell  paused,   said  nothing,  turned   and 

started  away. 

22 


THE  ANT  HILL  23 

" Might  as  well  take  my  order  while  you're 
here.  It  '11  pay  you  for  your  trouble. ' ' 

Brunell  turned,  walked  back  and  listened 
while  Mother  Lee  read  off  a  list  of  what  she 
wanted. 

Harry,  who,  in  the  meanwhile  had  gone  for 
the  water,  had  returned  as  far  as  the  big  red-ant 
pile,  the  most  conspicuous  and  celebrated  spot 
in  the  dooryard. 

It  was  a  perfect  pyramid  of  red,  blue,  white, 
and  gold  sand. 

Mother  Lee  called  it  a  symbol — a  great  little 
city  of  hard-working  people. 

It  was  looked  upon  as  a  sorrowful  city  where 
danger  always  lurked.  It  was  a  city  many 
times  destroyed  and  as  many  times  rebuilt. 

But  Mother  Lee  ruled  that  it  must  remain. 
It  was  there  first — long  before  she  took  posses- 
sion of  the  premises,  and  possession  to  her  was 
nine  points  of  the  law. 

The  ants  lived  up  to  their  tradition.  They 
were  continually  encountering  disastrous  condi- 
tions, but  they  battled  like  Romans  and  clung 
right  on  to  their  own  little  world.  There  were 
the  weekly  floods  from  the  washtubs  that  swept 
the  city  away.  Mother  Lee  called  them  Babylon 
floods,  and  declared  that  all  the  good  ants  would 
be  saved  to  rebuild  the  city — the  bad  would  be 
washed  away. 

And  it  was  always  as  Mother  predicted.  The 
ants  would  come  right  back  with  renewed  energy 


24        THE  EDGE  OP  THE  WORLD 

and  determination  and  re-establish  their  mound. 

Another  impending  menace  to  their  progress, 
and  one  that  they  feared  most  dreadfully,  was 
their  common  enemy,  the  big,  leather-breasted 
toad,  whose  beady  black  eyes  never  blinked,  but 
whose  long  needle-tongue  snapped  them  up  one 
at  a  time  until  a  hundred  or  more  little  workers 
had  vanished  from  their  midst.  They  grieved 
their  loss,  always,  but  went  on  with  their  work, 
coming  and  going,  circling  about — seeking  and 
finding  the  objects  of  their  daily  wants. 

Then  there  were  the  mischievous  pranks  of 
the  children  which  never  failed  to  precipitate 
the  ants  into  a  turmoil  of  excitement  that  sub- 
sided only  when  they  were  left  to  themselves 
to  work  out  their  own  salvation. 

But  all  in  all  there  was  plenty  to  counter- 
balance their  struggles  in  life.  There  was  the 
beehive  just  outside  their  city  limits.  And  dead 
bees  were  delicious,  even  if  it  were  an  all  day's 
laborious  task  of  tugging,  pushing  and  pulling 
over  miniature  miles  of  blades  of  grass  at  a 
transparent  silvery  wing  of  the  soft,  velvety 
body  of  a  freshly  killed  bee. 

Then,  too,  the  first  ray  of  the  morning's  sun 
touched  the  pinnacle  of  their  graveled  world 
and  warmed  its  entrance,  where  they  poured 
out,  a  vast  army  of  them,  eager  and  ready  to 
work  and  to  welcome  a  new  day. 

The  ant  hill  was  in  a  tranquil  state — at  peace 
with  the  world  in  general — when  Harry 


THE  ANT  HTLL  25 

strolled  up,  set  down  his  bucket  and  gently 
lowered  his  honey  tipped  stick  until  it  pene- 
trated the  summit.  The  ants  fought,  crowded 
and  tumbled  desperately  for  their  share  of  the 
honey-feast.  But  without  warning  they  were 
swung  high  in  the  air.  Some  fell  off  but  most 
of  them  clung  triumphantly  to  the  stick. 

Harry,  as  he  stood  admiring  the  surging, 
wriggling  mass  of  red,  was  suddenly  struck  with 
an  idea.  He  mischievously  rammed  the  stick 
into  the  bucket  of  water. 

All  excitement  he  dropped  to  his  knees 
and  was  soon  deeply  absorbed — his  mind  trans- 
forming the  water-bucket  into  an  ocean — the 
struggling  ants  into  struggling  sailors  whose 
ship  had  floundered  and  gone  down. 

The  shrill  voice  of  Mother  Lee  brought  Harry 
to  his  feet  with  a  bound.  With  a  quick  scoop  of 
his  hand  he  tried  to  skim  the  struggling  ants 
from  the  surface  of  the  water.  A  scream 
brought  Mother  Lee  hastily  down  the  brick 
driveway  to  the  boy's  side. 

"  Thunderation !  How  many  times  have  I 
told  you  to  let  them  ants  be?"  grabbing  the 
boy  and  the  bucket  and  hurrying  into  the  house. 

Later  when  Harry  came  from  the  kitchen  onto 
the  porch,  blinking  his  eyes,  relieved  of  pain, 
Mother  Lee's  voice  followed. 

''It's  always  the  case!  When  you  meddle 
you  must  expect  trouble." 


CHAPTER  V 

HEB  FLEDGELINGS 

LL  the  human  seeds  which  the  good 
and  bad  farmers  have  planted 
upon  this  beautiful  earth  grow  up 

to  be  people.  Our  bodies  are  like 

houses,  or  rather  like  homes,  because  in  each 
lives  a  master  called  *F — you — yourself.  This 
little  master,  %'  has  the  power  to  grow  up  and 
make  his  home  beautiful  or  he  can  grow  up 
neglectful  and  make  his  home  a  human  wreck. 
Come!  Stand  in  line!"  and  Mother  Lee 
stopped  her  knitting  long  enough  to  see  that 
they  obeyed. 

"Each  little  shaver,  here,  has  a  body,  and 
that  body  is  a  home  for  his  little  master,  'I.' 
Now  each  little  home  has  all  kinds  of  rooms. 
Here  in  your  brain  is  where  the  little  master, 
'I,'  always  remains  on  his  throne,  for  he  is 
king  and  he  must  do  all  the  planning  for  his 
little  home,  your  bodies.  Your  eyes  are  his 
windows  out  of  which  he  peeps  and  sees  every- 
thing that's  going  on.  Your  ears  are  his  tele- 
phone through  which  he  can  hear  all  sounds. 
Your  nose  is  the  means  whereby  he  gets  his  air. 
Your  mouth  is  the  instrument  with  which  he 

26 


HER  FLEDGELINGS  27 

speaks  out  his  thoughts  and  commands,  also 
through  which  he  gets  his  food.  Your  arms  and 
legs  are  his  servants,  and  must  do  his  bidding. 
If  he  thinks,  *  Hurry,'  your  feet  just  fly  along. 
If  he  thinks,  'Stop,'  your  feet  are  still.  What- 
ever he  wants  those  little  servants  to  do  he 
thinks  about  and  they  immediately  obey. 
When  this  little  master  becomes  tired,  it  is 
night  and  he  closes  up  your  eyes,  his  windows, 
and  he  goes  to  sleep.  That  is  when  your  body 
sleeps. 

"But  in  the  morning  he  awakens  and  opens 
up  his  house  to  begin  his  work  for  the  day. 
When  he  is  very  small,  he  must  learn  many 
things.  He  must  learn  just  what  kind  of 
amusement  to  put  into  his  parlour,  which  is  your 
heart,  and  just  what  kind  of  food  he  must  put 
into  his  kitchen  which  is  your  stomach.  The 
one  thing  he  has  to  study  most  is,  how  he  is 
going  to  spend  his  life  when  he  grows  up  and 
has  the  right  to  do  as  he  pleases  in  this  beautiful 
world  garden. 

"What  great  achievement  is  he  going  to 
accomplish?  First  of  all,  while  he  is  very 
young,  he  must  learn  to  read,  write  and  spell. 
The  little  master,  'I,'  in  each  one  of  you  chil- 
dren is  learning  to  do  that. 

"But  the  great  trouble  with  this  little  master 
is,  that  when  very  young,  he  wants  to  waste  all 
his  time  at  play.  And  if  he  isn't  taught  by  the 
older  and  more  experienced,  he  will  be  very 


28        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WOBLD 

unhappy.  Each  of  you  must  watch  the  home  of 
your  little  master,  and  the  way  to  do  it  is  to 
watch  yourselves  every  minute,  and  learn  to 
accept  only  faith,  courage,  harmony,  cheerful- 
ness and  kindness.  These  are  the  principal 
things  for  joys.  Then  you  must  dress  your 
master,  *!,'  UP  ia  garments  of  ambition,  will- 
power, vitality,  determination  and  assurance. 

"It  doesn't  matter  to  the  good  God-farmer 
whether  his  seeds  are  planted  in  a  garden  of 
wealth  or  on  a  desert,  just  so  long  as  they  get 
three  ingredients:  sunshine,  pure  food  and 
plenty  of  fresh  air." 

Mother  Lee  ceased  speaking  and  purposely 
remained  silent  for  a  few  moments.  She  looked 
down  over  the  steel  rims  of  her  glasses  and  saw 
ten  earnest  little  faces,  ranging  from  eight  to 
fifteen  years,  looking  up  at  her. 

"Ambition  is  the  first  thing  you  must  con- 
sider ;  the  desire  to  do  a  big,  worthy  life 's  work. 
First  of  all  you  must  ask  the  little  master,  'I,' 
what  it  would  like  to  do.  Then  he  will  sit  up  on 
his  throne  in  your  brain  and  he  will  think  and 
think  and  soon  he  will  answer,  and  his  little 
home  will  tremble  all  over  with  the  vibration  of 
his  great  voice.  His  faithful  servants,  your 
little  hands  and  feet,  will  brace  up  and  be  ready 
to  do  their  part.  But  before  you  act — before 
you  do  anything  that  you  really  want  to  do,  you 
must  first  consult  this  little  master,  'I.'  Just 
ask  yourself:  'Is  this  desire  to  benefit  or  injure 


She  had  stopped  speaking  to  look,  over  her  glasses,  at  ;i 
of   little  faces   attentive   in   expression. 


HER  FLEDGELINGS  29 

me  I '  He  will  again  sit  on  his  throne  and  think 
and  think.  If  he  doesn't  know,  he  must  get  real 
busy  and  find  out  from  older  and  more  expe- 
rienced masters — the  grown-ups  in  the  world. 
The  master,  %'  here  in  Forrest,  has  already 
selected  his  endeavour.  He  is  going  to  be  an 
expert  on  lumber.  Here 's  Teddy — he  wants  to 
be  a  doctor.  Mary  wants  to  be  a  nurse.  She 
likes  to  take  medicine  and  she  is  gentle  and  kind. 
Dick  will  be  a  baker,  I  know,  because  he  is  so 
fond  of  cake.  l Prince*  Arthur," — giving  the 
boy  a  pat  on  his  chubby,  freckled  cheek — "will 
some  day  ride  away  on  his  white  horse  and  do 
some  great  deed.  Here 's  Sam,  a  chip  of  the  old 
block.  He  will  join  his  father  down  among  the 
sage-brush  hills  and  raise  cattle  for  the  market. 
Milt  wants  to  be  a  trapper,  but  it's  because  he 
doesn't  like  books.  Maybe  he  will  later  change 
his  desire.  Howard  and  the  rest  are  still  too 
young.  They  must  grow  up  more.  At  present 
you  all  must  keep  your  little  houses  perfectly 
clean.  Go  now  and  wash  your  faces  and  comb 
the  rat-tails  out  of  the  back  of  your  hair,  and 
don't  'scrap*  over  that  basin.  Form  in  line! 
March !  Take  your  turn ! ' ' 

Mother  Lee  arose  from  her  chair  at  the 
window  and  began  pulling  pots  and  pans  toward 
the  front  of  the  stove. 

The  evening  meal  was  over  before  dusk  and 
Mother  Lee,  as  was  her  custom,  made  the 
rounds  of  the  yard,  followed  by  several  of  her 


30        THE  EDGE  OP  THE  WORLD 

"  fledgelings, "  to  see  that  everything  was  in 
order.  She  stopped  at  the  " cooler"  door  and 
called  out: 

"Who 'sin  there?" 

'  *  Grimes !  Get  me  out !  Get  me  out  of  this 
hole!" 

"It's  daddy  again,"  whispered  Mary,  cling- 
ing to  Mother  Lee 's  skirt. 

"Why  does  he  let  his  master,  'I,'  always  get 
drunk?"  asked  "Prince"  Arthur. 

"Because  he  never  took  any  will-power  into 
his  home, ' '  promptly  answered  Mother  Lee. 

"I  think  the  Devil  has  something  to  do  with 
his  seed,  don't  you?"  spoke  up  Forrest. 

"Yes,  he's  a  polluted  seed,  all  right." 

"Don't  you  think  the  onion  cure  would  save 
him?"  earnestly  asked  another. 

"No,  he's  past  the  onion.  Snakes  is  about  all 
that  will  cure  him." 

"Snakes?"  exclaimed  several  in  a  breath. 

"What  kind  of  a  cure  is  that?"  questioned 
Forrest. 

"Snakes  is  what  whiskey  brings  into  the 
system,  or  rather  into  the  home.  They  chase 
the  master,  *!,'  all  over  until  he  is  scared  out  of 
his  wits," — and  Mother  Lee  caught  up  the 
youngest  of  the  Grimes  children  and  held  it  up 
to  the  bars. 

"Look  at  your  baby  here!  It  is  actually 
afraid  of  you.  For  shame !  You,  the  father  of 
such  a  beautiful  child!  Oh,  come  away!  It's 


HER  FLEDGELINGS  31 

only  a  waste  of  breath  to  talk  to  such  a  sot" — 
and  she  put  the  child  down  roughly  and  started 
toward  the  house  murmuring :  "If  there  is  any 
chance  at  all,  I'll  cure  that  rum-hound  yet." 

When  bedtime  came,  Mother  Lee  put  the  chil- 
dren to  bed  in  the  room  adjoining  the  kitchen, 
and  then  went  out,  telling  no  one  where  she  was 
going.  She  cut  across  a  field  and  followed  a 
trail  over  a  hill  to  the  tracks,  down  the  tracks, 
over  a  trestle  and  down  a  steep  embankment 
where  she  deliberately  set  fire  to  an  old  shack. 
She  stood  long  enough  to  see  it  burst  into 
flames,  then  retraced  her  steps. 

"Such  rookeries  are  only  crime  breeders  and 
old  Grimes  will  never  take  them  children  back 
into  that  filth." 

She  entered  her  kitchen  as  unconcerned  as  if 
nothing  had  happened. 

The  red  glare  against  the  dark  sky  excited  the 
children.  Their  many  questions  led  Mother 
Lee  to  say : 

"Maybe  it's  the  good  God-farmer  getting  rid 
of  some  of  the  Devil's  work." 

They  all  watched  through  the  curtainless  win- 
dow until  the  illumination  against  the  sky  had 
died  down  to  complete  darkness,  then  they  stole 
quietly  to  their  beds,  followed  shortly  by  Mother 
Lee,  who  began  telling  them  an  Indian  tale,  full 
of  excitement.  Gradually  each  child  crawled 
tremblingly  from  his  bed  into  the  big  centre  one, 
and  not  until  Mother  Lee  was  nearly  smothered 


32        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WOELD 

beneath  the  weight  of  so  many  little  bodies,  did 
she  speak  up  a  little  sternly : 

"There  are  no  live  Indians  in  stories. 
Scamper  back  to  your  beds ! ' ' 

Mother  Lee  well  knew  the  effect  her  story 
would  have  upon  the  children  but  it  was  her  way 
to  gain  affection  from  them.  Their  confidence 
in  her  was  to  her  the  most  endearing  tribute 
that  could  be  paid  her. 


CHAPTER  VI 

FORDING  THE  BIG  THOMPSON 


so.  This  is  a  Holiday. 
We'll  make  good  use  of  it  and  kill 
two  birds  with  one  stone.  We'll 

take  some  grub  out  to  the  ranch  and 

pick  us  some  berries." 

After  a  half  hour  of  excited  preparation, 
Mother  Lee  sat  surrounded  by  her  younger 
"fledgelings"  in  an  old-fashioned  buck-board. 
She  brought  a  well-worn  whip  down  forcibly 
upon  the  broad  back  of  a  lazy,  grey  mare.  A 
sudden  lunge  and  an  almost  stubborn  stop  was 
the  result. 

"Het  up,  Babe,"  urged  Mother  Lee,  as  she 
jerked  the  lines. 

After  exhausting  a  good  part  of  her  patience 
she  finally  persuaded  Babe  to  start  off  in  a  slow 
trot.  On  down  the  road  they  jolted  along.  The 
older  children,  playing  and  scampering  along 
behind,  easily  kept  up  to  the  rig.  They  were 
on  their  way  to  Dakota's  ranch. 

Dakota,  or  "Decatur,"  as  Mother  Lee  called 
him,  was  her  oldest  son. 

There  was  nothing  along  the  way  to  disturb 

33 


the  peace  and  tranquility  of  the  journey  until 
they  came  to  the  Big  Thompson  which  they  had 
to  ford. 

"I  just  know  Babe  is  going  to  lie  down." 

'  *  No  she  won 't.  We  '11  keep  her  up, ' '  shouted 
Forrest,  searching  the  bank  for  a  club. 

"Het  up,  Babe," — and  Mother  Lee  pushed  on 
the  lines. — "You  can  drink  all  the  water  you 
want  but  keep  on  your  feet." 

Babe  put  her  ears  forward  and  snorted  her 
appreciation  as  she  took  a  sudden  leap  into  the 
middle  of  the  stream,  jerking  the  buck-board 
over  protruding  boulders,  and  all  but  dumped 
Mother  Lee  and  the  children  sprawling  ahead 
of  her.  She  then  let  her  nose  float  in  the  cold, 
clear  water. 

Forrest  and  his  companions,  who  had  waded  to 
their  knees,  stood  beside  Babe  with  uplifted 
sticks. 

"Don't  hit  'er  unless  she  starts  to  lie  down," 
commanded  Mother  Lee. 

"Pull  up  on  the  lines! — Quick!" 

"Hold  tight  to  her  head!" 

"Ah — there  she  goes." 

Without  the  least  warning  Babe  went  down 
upon  her  knees. 

"Het  up,  Babe!    Het  up!" 

But  the  coaxing  and  pounding  upon  her  back, 
made  no  difference  to  Babe.  She  took  her  bath 
despite  the  excited  protests.  Then,  with  an  ef- 
fort she  regained  her  feet  and  nearly  shook  the 


FORDING  THE  BIG  THOMPSON      35 

harness  and  buck-board  loose  from  her.  With 
another  lunge  she  reached  the  opposite  bank, 
and  stopped  again. 

From  former  experiences  Mother  Lee  knew 
just  what  Babe  would  do  next,  so  she  gripped 
the  smaller  children  with  one  arm  and  with  the 
other  hand  held  a  tight  rein  on  the  unruly  mare 
who  bounded  forward  up  the  steep  embankment 
and  began  running  down  the  road  at  top  speed 
for  a  quarter  of  a  mile  leaving  the  older  children 
far  behind  in  a  cloud  of  dust.  And  just  as 
Mother  Lee  also  expected,  Babe  came  to  another 
decided  stop. 

The  exhilarating  chill  of  the  cold  bath,  which 
always  sent  the  blood  of  youth  teeming  through 
Babe's  veins,  was  of  short  duration  for  there 
she  stood  after  her  frolic,  puffing  and  panting 
in  the  middle  of  the  road.  She  looked  back  out 
of  the  corner  of  her  eye  at  Mother  Lee,  as  much 
as  to  say : 

"Well — are  you  still  there?" 

For  the  rest  of  the  journey,  Babe  jogged 
peacefully  along  enjoying  the  breath  of  the  al- 
falfa fields. 

Mother  Lee  sat  erect  and  kept  the  chil- 
dren from  bouncing  out  of  the  rig,  for  Babe, 
whether  from  malice  or  mischievousness  invar- 
iably picked  out  all  the  rough  spots  along  the 
road. 

Babe  stopped  at  the  big  gate  and  indicated 
her  impatience  by  switching  her  tail  and  nod- 


36        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

ding  her  head  as  she  waited  for  Forrest  to  shove 
back  the  bars.  Then  she  pricked  up  her  ears 
and  trotted  to  the  barn  door,  indifferent  to  the 
ducks,  turkeys  and  chickens  flying  in  all  di- 
rections. 

A  day  on  the  ranch  was  a  treat  to  the  children 
because  Dakota  always  had  some  surprise  for 
their  amusement,  such  as  planting  trees ;  weed- 
ing the  garden ;  putting  a  new  straw  roof  on  the 
barn  or  stacking  wheat  in  the  heat  of  the  sun, 
which  was  always  counteracted  by  a  feast  of 
watermelon  in  the  shade.  Goose-berrying  also 
afforded  plenty  of  pleasure  even  though  the 
bushes  were  full  of  thorns. 

The  day's  visit  at  the  ranch  was  shortened 
because  Babe  was  not  to  be  trusted  after  dark. 
Moreover,  when  she  was  filled  with  alfalfa,  she 
took  more  time  covering  ground.  Nothing 
could  move  her  out  of  a  walk. 

Mother  Lee  did  not  worry  about  Babe  on  their 
return  for  she  knew  that  the  three  and  a  half 
mile  trip  to  the  ranch,  together  with  the  morn- 
ing's escapade,  had  taken  all  the  ginger  out  of 
her.  Babe  simply  nosed  and  caressed  the  sur- 
face of  the  water  and  went  on  until  she  reached 
Cottage  Home,  with  Mother  Lee  and  the 
children  as  tired  as  she  was,  herself. 

For  the  next  two  hours,  until  sundown,  Cot- 
tage Home  was  like  a  busy  bee  hive.  The 
children  noiselessly  did  the  chores  allotted  to 
them.  Forrest,  finishing  first,  turned  to  view 


FORDING  THE  BIG  THOMPSON      37 

the  half-painted  house  and  said  to  Sweet 
William : 

4  *  You '11  get  through  before  frost  sets  in,  all 
right!" 

"If  I  don't,  what  of  it?" 

"You'll  have  to  live  through  the  winter  and 
finish  in  the  spring." 

Then,  after  a  pause : 

"Don't  you  like  it  here?"  disappointment  in 
his  tone. 

"Best  place  I've  struck  in  my  wanderings." 

"Then  stick  around.  Mother  Lee  will  want 
her  barn  painted  next.  You  must  never  lose 
sight  of  her.  Of  course  it's  different  with 
Mary,  here,  and  the  rest  of  us," — alluding  to  Old 
Grimes'  thirteen-year-old  daughter,  who  had 
just  stepped  up  and  stopped  beside  Forrest, — 
"We  have  to  map  out  our  futures,  don't  we, 
Mary?" 

"I've  already  mapped  out  mine.  I'm  going 
to  a  big  city  and  become  a  prima  donna." 

"A  what?" 

"I'm  going  on  the  stage." 

"No,  you're  not.  Girls  are  not  supposed  to 
go  out  into  the  world  alone.  They  should  stay 
at  home  and  learn  to  be  wise  and  raise  the 
babies  the  God-farmer  gives  them.  Only  men 
who  are  brave  should  go  out  into  the  world  and 
work  for  the  women  the  God-farmer  has  given 
them.  Mother  Lee  knows.  She  knows  every- 
thing, and  she  says:  'When  the  big,  wicked 


38        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

corral  broke  and  let  out  many  pretty  little  girls 
to  do  as  they  pleased,  it  was  a  pity,  because 
the  world  has  lost  so  many  pretty,  little 
mothers.  Thousands  and  thousands  have  just 
rushed  out  into  the  world  of  carelessness  and 
destroyed  their  pretty  selves.  Now,  you  're  not 
going  to  do  that.'  " 

"I  can  take  care  of  myself." 

"No,  you  can't.  I  heard  that  the  name  of 
Mary  was  an  unfortunate  one  and  that  lots  of 
Marys  were  led  astray  because  they  haven't 
much  will-power." 

"Oh — "  and  a  half  angry  flash  dilated  her 
blue  eyes. 

"I  feel  sure  the  God- farmer  intended  me  to 
look  after  you  until  you  are  married  to  some- 
body, and  that's  what  I'm  going  to  do  if  I  have 
to  lick  somebody  to  do  it,"  and  Forrest  caught 
her  shoulders  and  pushed  her  around  the 
corner,  authoritatively  adding : 

"You  don't  need  to  go  to  any  city  to  learn 
acting.  Mrs.  Noble,  at  the  Bee  ranch,  was  a 
circus  woman  once  and  she  can  teach  you  all  the 
tricks  you'll  need.  I'll  go  and  ask  her  about  it 
to-morrow." 

"Can  I  go  with  you?" 

"First,  we'd  better  go  and  talk  it  over  with 

Mother  Lee." 

•          •••••• 

"Some  notions  come  into  our  minds  just  like 
some  of  them  bucking  bronchos  come  into  Sam 


FORDING  THE  BIG  THOMPSON      39 

Ditmar's  life,"  said  Mother  Lee  after  listening 
with  a  half  amused  smile  playing  about  the 
corners  of  her  mouth,  "and  if  they  once  buck 
us  off,  we  might  as  well  give  up  the  ghost. 
What  you  must  do  is  to  get  into  the  saddle  of 
this  notion  and  stick  to  its  back  until  you  have 
conquered  it.  Cutting  up  capers  on  high  ropes 
is  not  ladylike,  nor  is  it  talent.  Forrest  is 
right.  The  God-farmer  gave  little  girls  the 
greatest  of  all  talents.  The  biggest  achieve- 
ment for  a  little  girl  is  to  grow  up  to  be  a  good 
mother.  There  isn't  a  grander  talent  for  a 
woman.  All  else  in  her  life  is  secondary  and 
the  world  needs  mothers — good  mothers,  oh,  so 
very,  very  badly.  Good  mothers  who  love  to 
sew  and  play  house  in  a  big  fashion  and  take 
good  care  of  their  husbands ;  cook  them  whole- 
some food,  that  they  may  always  be  strong  to 
work  for  their  families.  That's  the  talent  you 
want  to  look  after.  Grow  up  with  it  and  your 
name  will  go  down  as  a  heroine  in  the  pages  of 
God's  great  book." 

Mother  Lee  stopped  speaking  and  arose  from 
a  seat  beside  a  moonlit  window. 

Sitting  in  semi-darkness  was  a  frequent  oc- 
currence with  Mother  Lee.  She  often  said  to 
the  children : 

"With  no  light  on  the  inside  we  can  see  better 
what's  happening  on  the  outside,  besides  we 
curtail  expenses.  The  lantern  on  the  gate-post 
gives  plenty  of  light  when  there  is  no  moon." 


40        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

A  murmur  of  joy  broke  from  the  lips  of  the 
younger  children  when  they  saw  Mother  Lee 
build  a  fire,  put  on  a  large  iron  pot  into  which 
she  stirred  a  ladle  of  lard  and  several  hand- 
fuls  of  popcorn.  The  popping  of  the  corn 
claimed  all  their  attention  until  a  voice  from  the 
kitchen  door  called  out : 

"Hello,  Mother  1" 

Mother  Lee  looked  steadily  over  her  glasses 
for  a  few  seconds. 

"It's  Sam  Ditmar." 

"That's  who  it  is,"  opening  the  screen  door 
and  coming  in. 

Mother  Lee  turned  her  attention  to  her  task 
until  all  the  corn  was  popped  and  she  had 
poured  it  into  a  large  dish  pan,  which  the 
children  had  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  floor. 
With  the  popcorn  she  handed  each  a  red  apple, 
saying : 

"When  you're  finished,  scamper  to  bed!" 

"Sit  down!"  she  commanded  to  the  caller 
who  stood  in  the  doorway. 

Sam  Ditmar  dropped  into  the  nearest  chair 
and  let  his  wide-brimmed  cowboy  hat  slip  to  the 
floor.  Crossing  his  legs,  he  settled  back  with  a 
broad  smile  on  his  clean-shaven  face. 

"How've  you  been,  Mother?" 

"All  right, — but  you're  not." 

"Yes,  I  am." 

"I  say  you're  not.  What's  on  your  mind?" 
eyeing  him  more  keenly. 


FOBBING  THE  BIG  THOMPSON     41 

He  looked  at  the  children. 

"They'll  not  hear  a  word  you  say." 

He  rubbed  his  hands  briskly  over  hia  face  as 
if  to  control  his  feelings. 

"Out  with  it!  Silence  is  no  good  for  a 
troubled  conscience." 

"Rose  left  me  this  morning/' 

As  he  spoke  he  stood  up  and  looked  out  of 
the  window  to  conceal  his  grief. 

"Where  are  the  children?" 

"Out  in  the  wagon,  asleep." 

"Go  fetch  them  in!" 

Mother  Lee  called  one  of  the  older  boys  from 
the  floor  and  placed  a  lantern  in  his  hand. 

"Go  help  Sam  put  the  horses  in  the  stable!" 


s 


CHAPTER 

VALLEY  BOSE 

AM  DITMAR  lived  on  a  ranch  in  a  small 
half -dirt  cabin  without  a  tree  or  a  blade 
of  grass  within  a  mile  of  it.  He  was 

scarcely  past  his  twentieth  year,  yet  he 

looked  much  older.  His  wife,  too,  was  very 
young,  and  they  had  three  children,  the  baby 
just  crawling. 

"I  agree  now,  she  was  right.  I  shouldn't 
have  kept  her  out  there," — slowly  answered 
Sam  the  next  morning  as  he  sat  with  Mother  Lee 
in  the  kitchen. 

"The  keeping  was  correct,  but  you  should 
have  improved  your  home.  Aren  't  you  clearing 
good  money  off  of  your  cattle?" 

"Yes,  but  I  am  banking  it  until  we've  saved 
enough.  Then,  we  intend  to  go  to  the  city  to 
live." 

"What  ails  you,  Sam  Ditmar?  You  and 
Rose  were  both  born  on  a  ranch  in  the  sand- 
hills. Neither  of  you  have  blood  for  the  city. 
That's  a  foolish  whim.  What  you  need  is  a 
better  home  and  better  surroundings  for  your 
children.  Now  you  leave  them  with  me  and  you 
go  down  there  and  plant  trees,  rose  bushes  and 

42 


VALLEY  ROSE  43 

everything  that  will  make  the  place  look  re- 
spectable. Fix  up  the  old  shack  and  put  some 
pretty  things  in  it.  I  know  her  likes  better  than 
you  do.  Every  man  should  think  of  all  them 
little  comforts  for  a  woman  if  he  expects  her 
to  do  his  drudgery.  A  wife's  life  is  more  or 
less  monotonous  and  it  is  up  to  the  husband  to 
do  all  he  can  to  make  variety.  In  the  evening — 
suppose  you  are  tired — hitch  up  the  horses  and 
take  her  for  a  drive  as  you  used  to  do  before 
you  married  her.  Annie,  here,  is  old  enough 
to  take  care  of  the  baby.  Make  a  sweetheart 
of  Valley  Kose  and  you  will  always  have  her." 

"You  talk  as  if  she'll  come  back." 

"Of  course  she  will,  come  half  way.  She 
loves  you  and  she  will  soon  miss  her  children. 
Now,  go  and  see  what  you  can  do. ' ' 

Mother  Lee  finished  stirring  a  pot  of  corn- 
meal  mush. 

Sam  Ditmar  sat  in  a  studious  attitude  while 
his  baby  crawled  about  his  knees. 

"I'll  do  it!" 

"If  the  risk  isn't  worth  it  you  had  better 
stay  where  you  are — at  a  standstill." 

"It  is!    I  love  her!" 

"Then  put  some  back-bone  into  your  system 
and  get  a  move  on  yourself!" 

Sam  sat  for  another  few  moments,  playing 
with  the  baby's  hand. 

"Well,  what's  the  matter?" 

"I  don't  know  how  to  begin." 


44        THH  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

"Go  up  to  Brunell's  and  stock  up  with  house- 
hold furnishings !  He  '11  know  what  to  sell  you. 
Then  go  to  the  nursery  and  buy  some  trees  and 
berry  bushes!  Get  some  vines,  and  cover  up 
that  old  shack  of  yours,  even  if  they  do  draw 
mosquitoes !  You  can  get  rid  of  them  by  burn- 
ing smudges  at  night  like  the  rest  of  us  do. 
Put  up  a  swing  for  the  children  and  a  hammock 
for  her!  Get  her  some  fancy  work,  a  sewing 
machine  and  some  material  to  make  her 
children's  clothes,  and  above  all  things,  keep 
away  from  her!  Let  her  come  to  you  and  be 
ready  to  receive  her  but  don't  make  over  her! 
Let  her  make  over  you!  She  isn't  the  kind  to 
let  other  people  raise  her  children.  Put  your 
energy  into  fixing  up  your  home,  not  in  wonder- 
ing whether  she  is  coming  back!  You're  a  type 
of  man  that  can  hold  any  woman  if  you  only 
cultivate  a  get-up.  Let  her  do  a  little  of  your 
planning  and  you  do  a  little  less  banking!  A 
woman  who  is  allowed  to  handle  money  is  not 
half  as  apt  to  spend  it  as  the  one  who  is 
stinted.'* 

Sam  Ditmar  took  up  his  hat,  threw  back  his 
shoulders  and  left  the  house.  He  went  to 
Brunell's  and  did  exactly  what  Mother  Lee  had 
told  him  to  do,  and  with  a  somewhat  cheerful 
heart,  started  along  back  over  the  rough,  hilly 
road  to  his  dark  and  lonely  shack.  He  shivered, 
for  it  was  the  first  time  he  had  ever  entered  the 
big  gate  that  he  did  not  see  Rose,  or  hear  some 


VALLEY  KOSB  45 

word  of  welcome  from  her.  But  he  had  done 
as  Mother  Lee  advised.  After  putting  up  and 
feeding  his  horses,  he  went  to  the  house  carry- 
ing a  bundle.  He  did  not  remember  what  it 
contained  but  he  knew  it  was  something  he  had 
ordered  for  Rose. 

Several  times  he  attempted  to  whistle  but  a 
lump  formed  in  his  throat  in  spite  of  his  efforts 
to  master  his  feelings,  and  his  hand  trembled 
as  he  struck  a  match  and  lit  a  small,  well-cleaned 
lamp.  He  looked  around  half  expecting  that 
his  thoughts  were  only  a  bad  dream  and  that 
she  would  pop  out  from  some  corner  to  surprise 
him,  but  only  the  empty,  dingy,  mud-coloured 
walls  frowned  back  in  mockery  at  him.  He 
shook  as  if  suddenly  brought  to  his  senses. 
Why  had  he  not  seen  the  coldness  of  every- 
thing before?  How  she  must  have  suffered  in 
such  a  mud  hole !  And  his  children — his  pretty 
children  living  like  grasshoppers  I  Another 
shiver  shook  his  frame  from  head  to  foot. 
What  silence !  He  had  never  noticed  it  before. 
Not  a  sound  to  break  the  stillness.  He  rushed 
to  the  door  and  opened  it.  Outside,  the  night 
was  as  black  as  ink.  What  was  he  going  to  do? 
He  could  never  pass  a  night  alone  in  bed,  nor 
even  in  the  cabin.  His  first  thought  was  to  re- 
turn to  the  stable.  There  was  no  consolation 
there!  But  something  must  be  done  or  he 
would  go  insane.  Finally,  almost  at  distrac- 
tion's end  he  grabbed  a  lantern  and  lit  it. 


He  made  up  his  mind  that  he  would  spend  the 
night  planting  the  trees  and  shrubbery,  and  so, 
with  all  the  intensity  of  his  nature  he  took  his 
spade  and  lantern,  and  started  to  work. 

While  Sam  Ditmar  began  digging  his  first 
hole,  down  there  among  the  lonely  sage-brush 
hills,  a  happy  little  "Hoo!  Hoo!"  brought 
Mother  Lee  to  her  kitchen  door  where  she  saw 
a  girlish,  white  figure  on  a  buck-skin  pony. 

"It's  Rose!  I've  come  all  the  way  from 
Dad's  ranch,"  bounding  off  her  horse.  "May 
I  stop  with  you  to-night?" 

"Yes.  You're  just  in  time  to  stop  your 
baby's  yelling.  Hand  the  reins  of  the  horse 
over  to  one  of  the  boys!  Let  him  put  him  in 
the  stable." 

"What  do  you — "  rushing  into  the  house  and 
to  the  crib  back  of  the  stove.  *  *  Where 's  Sam? ' ' 

"Shot  himself,  maybe.  What  possessed  you 
to  rear  up  in  your  harness?" 

Grabbing  up  the  child,  the  young  mother 
cuddled  it  to  her  breast,  and  after  a  few  minutes 
of  weeping,  answered : 

"I  just  went  out  of  my  head  down  there  in 
that  hot,  barren  country.  Sam  has  kept  me 
there  for  over  two  years  on  promises.  He  is 
getting  more  miserly  every  day.  We  just  eat, 
sleep  and  wait.  I  couldn't  stand  it.  Oh,  God, 
what  is  there  in  a  desert  woman's  life?  Alkali 
and  sage-brush." 

"How  about  your  husband  and  children?" 


VALLEY  ROSE  47 

"They  don't  bring  you  comfort  when  you 
cannot  do  anything  for  them.  Oh,  when  I  see 
a  green  world  big  enough  to  hold  us  all,  why, 
oh,  why,  does  Sam  insist  on  keeping  us  down 
there  in  that  hot  sand,  year  in  and  year  out?  I 
shall  never  go  back.  Dad's  ranch  is  bad 
enough,  but  that  Hell-hole  is  beyond  my  en- 
durance. I  cannot!  I  cannot!  Oh,  I'm  so 
cold  and  tired  and  hungry  and  faint.  I  just 
worried  so,  I  had  to  come  to  you.  I  have  no 
one  I  could  look  to  for  advice. ' ' 

"Well,  don't  you  go  back.  Pile  in  here  with 
your  young  ones  and  keep  out  of  Sam's  sight, 
until  he  promises  to  do  better.  No  human  being 
was  ever  expected  to  live  in  such  a  wilderness 
when  God  has  given  us  plenty  of  seed  and 
sprouts  to  give  colour  to,  other  than  the  grey  of 
death." 

Again  the  young  mother  hugged  her  baby, 
then  went  eagerly  to  the  bed  and  looked  for  her 
two  other  children. 

*  'Which  are  mine  ?  They  all  look  alike  in  this 
bed." 

"That's  because  I  gave  them  all  a  bath  and 
combed  their  hair  straight  back.  Those  are 
yours.  No — these  two  over  here." 

The  twitching  of  eyelids  was  the  only  re- 
sponse to  the  mother's  kisses. 

"Come  now,  drink  some  coffee!  There's 
plenty  on  the  stove.  You  can  crawl  in  beside 
them  later." 


Sad  and  heavy  at  heart,  Rose  did  as  Mother 
Lee  commanded  and  a  little  later  found  a  corner 
in  the  big  bed  upon  which  she  curled  and  sobbed 
herself  to  sleep. 

Mother  Lee,  always  the  last  to  retire,  wound 
the  old  alarm  clock,  scraped  the  silver  money 
from  the  table  ledge  into  the  match  can  and 
carried  it  to  her  bedside.  Then,  after  much 
lifting  and  straining  she  moved  a  couple  of 
children  farther  back  on  the  pillows  and 
changed  the  positions  of  two  others  at  the  foot 
of  the  bed.  She  stretched  out  on  the  front  edge 
and  breathed  a  sigh  of  comfort,  that  another  day 
had  passed  and  she  had  done  her  duty. 

A  light  knock  on  the  kitchen  screen  door 
brought  her  to  a  sitting  position. 

" Who's  there?"  she  called. 

Another  knock  brought  her  to  the  door. 

"Who  is  it!" 

"Grimes." 

« *  Well !    What  do  you  want  ? ' ' 

"It's  raining,  and  since  my  shack  burned  I 
haven't  any  home." 

"Are  you  sober?" 

"Haven't  touched  a  drop." 

"Blow  your  breath  in  here!" 

A  face  was  pressed  against  the  screen  and 
Mother  Lee,  after  sniffing  said: 

"Go  sleep  in  the  stable!  The  beds  are  all 
full,  here." 

"Thanks,  Mother." 


VALLEY  ROSE  49 

" Don't  strike  any  matches  and  don't  wake  the 
horses  or  they'll  paw  all  night!  Take  the  last 
cot  up  in  the  loft!  Good  night." 

' '  Good  night !  I  go  to  work  on  the  big  ditch  in 
the  morning." 

"Thank  your  God  for  that." 

Mother  Lee  waited  until  all  was  quiet,  then,  a 
little  feebly,  felt  her  way  back  and  after  going 
through  the  same  manoeuvres  of  clearing  her 
portion  of  the  bed,  again  stretched  out  and  was 
soon  asleep. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

CHRISTMAS  AND  MOTHER  WINTERS 


C 


HEISTMAS  day  was  like  all  other 
days  to  the  grown-ups  about  Cottage 
Home.  The  coming  and  going  con- 

tinued  just  the  same.    But  all  day 

long  there  was  a  bright,  expectant  look  on  the 
face  of  every  child,  for  Mother  Lee  had  whis- 
pered to  them  early  in  the  morning  that  when 
night  came  and  when  the  snow  was  the  thickest 
and  all  was  quiet,  Mother  Winters,  who  was 
always  a  day  late  at  Cottage  Home,  would  arrive 
and  tramp  around  the  house  and  leave  a  gift  for 
each  of  them  on  the  outer  window  sill. 

"Fetch  my  shawl  and  bonnet,"  called  out 
Mother  Lee,  late  in  the  afternoon.  "Pm  going 
downtown  and  pay  a  bill." 

She  made  her  way  along  the  short  cut,  to  the 
General  Store  and  purchased  a  number  of  gar- 
ments which  she  ordered  put  up  in  separate 
parcels.    On  her  way  back  she  buried  them  in 
the  snow,  very  close  to  the  "cooler,"  and,  re- 
turning to  the  house,  resumed  her  duties. 
The  day  had  passed  like  a  charm.    Every 
66 


CHKISTMAS  51 

child  was  on  its  good  behaviour,  when  Mother 
Lee  put  on  the  big  iron  pot.  But,  instead  of 
the  usual  popcorn,  she  poured  in  a  can  of  New 
Orleans  molasses,  a  little  vinegar  and  a  lump 
of  butter.  There  was  a  murmur  of  delight  from 
her  " fledgelings"  as  they  watched  the  pro- 
cedure. 

Later  when  the  taffy  had  been  partly  cooled 
and  ready  to  pull,  Mother  Lee  divided  it  into 
equal  portions  and  put  every  child  to  work,  say- 
ing: 

"Stand  with  your  faces  to  the  wall.  Don't 
talk  or  look  until  you  hear  the  voice  of  Mother 
Winters.  I'm  going  out  to  welcome  her  and  tell 
her  how  many  of  you  there  are. ' ' 

The  children  formed  in  line  with  their  faces 
to  the  wall. 

The  kitchen  door  opened  and  closed  and 
Mother  Lee  waded  out  through  the  darkness  and 
snow  to  where  she  had  hidden  the  parcels. 
Upon  her  return  she  smiled  at  the  silence  within. 
She  wound  a  white  sheet  about  herself,  groaned 
and  made  peculiar  noises,  then  began  tramping 
around  the  house  in  the  deep  snow. 

* '  Oh,  I  can 't  pull  taffy  I  I  want  to  see  Mother 
Winters!" 

"But  you  nras'n't  peek,"  whispered  Forrest, 
stationing  himself  between  the  window  and  one 
of  the  other  children. 

" Listen!  Do  you  hear  that  noise?  She's 
piling  our  Christmas  presents  on  the  window." 


"Oh,  let's  see!" 

"No,  I  sha'n't!" 

By  a  quick  movement,  the  persistent  child 
evaded  Forrest's  interference  and  cried  out, 
jumping  up  and  down : 

"Look!  She's  all  white!  Like  the  snow! 
Oh,  she  must  be  cold.  Let's  call  her  in.'* 

"No,  you  sha'n't!  You  are  disobeying 
Mother  Lee." 

"Quick!  Pull  your  taffy.  I  hear  her  com- 
ing!" 

The  door  opened  softly  and  Mother  Lee  en- 
tered as  gently  as  she  had  gone  out. 

"Has  Mother  Winters  been  here  yet?"  she 
asked. 

"Sure!  Look  there  in  that  window,"  and  a 
cluster  of  sticky  fingers  pointed  in  one  direction. 

"Come  all  of  you,  wash  your  hands  and  you, 
Forrest,  take  a  lantern  and  fetch  in  them 
presents!" 

Forrest  quickly  obeyed  and  soon  returned 
with  a  number  of  icy  parcels. 

"Which  is  which?    I  don't  see  any  names!" 

The  children  dropped  to  their  hands  and 
knees  upon  the  floor  about  the  bundles  as  For- 
rest broke  the  twine  of  each  parcel. 

"They're  all  alike." 

"Mother  Winters  is  like  Mother  Lee.  She 
never  shows  partiality. ' ' 

t  ( Gee  whiz !  If  they  ain  't  the  sweaters  we  've 
been  wanting  that  was  in  Brunell  's  window. ' ' 


CHRISTMAS  53 

"Do  you  suppose  that  Mother  Winters  heard 
us  say  that  we  wanted  them?" 

"Of  course!  Every  time  you  send  out  a 
Christmas  wish  into  the  air,  she  hears  you." 

A  heavy  scraping  of  feet  at  the  door  disturbed 
the  whole  interest  within. 

"It's  Pop!'7  cried  Forrest,  standing  still,  but 
showing  a  world  of  pleasure  in  his  handsome 
dark  features  as  the  door  pushed  open. 

"Caught  in  a  blizzard.  Didn't  think  I'd  be 
able  to  get  here,"  said  Old  Dave,  as  he  pulled 
off  his  sheep-skin  coat  and  hung  it  behind  the 
stove.  He  pulled  up  a  chair  and  put  his  half 
frozen  feet  upon  the  hot  hearth.  The  steam 
from  his  rubber  overshoes  drew  Mother  Lee's 
attention. 

"Get  your  feet  down!  Don't  you  know 
better?" 

Old  Dave  glanced  up  with  an  expression  of 
pain. 

"What  ails  you!" 

*  *  Guess  my  feet  rs  froze. ' ' 

"Off  with  them  shoes  and  socks!  Forrest, 
take  the  dish-pan  and  fill  it  with  snow!" 

Like  a  flash  Forrest  responded. 

"What  fur?" — a  stubborn  look  coming  into 
Old  Dave 's  face  as  Forrest  returned  with  a  pan 
of  snow. 

"Put  your  feet  in!"  scolded  Mother  Lee. 

*  *  What  fur  ? ' ' — hesitating. 
"To  take  the  frost  out." 


A  grunt  was  his  answer  and  Forrest  dropped 
on  his  knees  and  covered  his  father's  feet  with 
snow. 

' '  There  now.    Is  that  cold  ? ' ' 

"Naw!"  expressing  surprise  at  finding  his 
feet  numb. 

"Well !  If  you  had  left  them  on  that  hearth 
a  few  moments  longer  you'd  have  fixed  them." 

As  the  numbness  gradually  left  his  feet  his 
face  began  to  twitch  with  pain.  He  looked  up 
at  Mother  Lee  inquiringly. 

"What's  the  matter!" 

"They  hurt!" 

"Well!  That's  a  good  sign.  The  blood's 
coming  back  into  them.  You've  had  them  in 
there  long  enough,  so  come  and  eat  your  sup- 
per." 

Old  Dave  pulled  his  feet  out  of  the  snow  with 
no  pretence  of  drying  them  and  started  drawing 
on  his  wet  socks. 

' '  Don 't  do  that !  Here,  put  these  on ! "  reach- 
ing out  and  taking  his  old  ones.  "It's  no 
wonder  your  feet  are  nearly  frozen  in  those  wet 
cotton  socks,"  and  she  put  the  socks  into  the 
stove. 

Old  Dave  obeyed  and  began  to  eat  from  a 
steaming  plate  which  Mother  Lee  had  already 
placed  upon  the  hearth. 

Forrest  scarcely  moved  from  the  back  of  his 
father's  chair.  His  large,  hungry  eyes  were 
watching  his  father's  every  move. 


CHRISTMAS  55 

"It's  been  in  my  mind  to  take  *  Chuck*  up 
with  me  when  the  weather  breaks." 

1 1  Oh,  Pop !  Will  you  ! ' '  Forrest 's  lips  were 
almost  against  his  father's  cheek. 

"I  don't  think  you  had  better  take  him  for 
another  year.  He'll  be  finished  with  grammar 
school  then. ' ' 

"Just  as  you  say," — picking  up  his  empty 
dish  and  starting  toward  the  table,  but  Mother 
Lee  snatched  it  from  his  rough  hands. 

"Here,  here,  you  children,  scamper  to 
bed!" 

Forrest  lingered,  but  after  a  sharp  glance 
from  Mother  Lee  he  promptly  followed  the 
others. 

When  Mother  Lee  found  herself  alone  with 
Old  Dave,  she  asked: 

"What's  the  idea  of  taking  Forrest  away 
from  school?" 

"Ain't  he  had  enough?" 

"No.  He  can't  get  enough — nobody  can. 
He  should  be  kept  studying  until  he  is  twenty, 
at  least." 

Old  Dave  looked  blankly  at  Mother  Lee. 

"What  does  he  want  schooling  fur,  I  never 
had  any." 

"You  show  it." 

"Can't  see  any  use  in  it.  I've  made  up  my 
mind  to  take  up  another  quarter  section  and  I 
want  help." 

From  a  half  opened  door,  Forrest  strained 


56        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

his  ears  to  catch  every  word  that  passed  be- 
tween them.  His  one  desire  was  to  go  with  his 
father.  Ever  since  he  could  remember  he 
longed  for  the  forest;  for  the  density  of  the 
giant  pines ;  the  open  nights  with  the  stars ;  the 
cold  icy  creeks.  The  blood  of  his  dark  skinned 
mother  rose  to  command  and  he  felt  that  he 
must  go. 

"  You  will  find  him  a  greater  help  to  you  later 
on  if  he  gets  a  schooling." 

Old  Dave  stared  at  the  stove  for  a  few  sec- 
onds, then,  without  further  comment,  arose  and 
took  a  lantern. 

"Well,  are  you  going  to  leave  him  in  school 
or  take  him  with  you?" 

"I'll  leave  it  to  Chuck." 

Mother  Lee  turned  and  called  out: 

"Come  from  behind  that  door  I" 

Forrest  eagerly  came  back  into  the  kitchen, 
his  eyes  dancing  in  his  excitement. 

"You  heard  your  father,  now  what  do  you 
want  to  do?" 

*  *  Go  with  him.  I  want  to  go  up  there  in  the 
mountains.  I  can  keep  up  my  studies  just  the 
same." 

Old  Dave  looked  at  the  boy  and  without  a 
word  sauntered  upstairs. 

Forrest  remained  standing  and  closely 
watched  Mother  Lee  as  she  went  about  the 
kitchen  adjusting  things  in  her  usual  way  before 
retiring. 


Sinking  down  on  the  floor  beside  her  he  burst  into  sobs. 


CHEISTMAS  57 

"Are  you  angry  with  me,  Mother  Lee?" 

"No." 

But  the  tone  of  her  voice  did  not  satisfy  him. 

"I've  been  thinking  for  a  long  time  how  I 
could  make  money  for  you  instead  of  going  to 
school  and  spending  your  money." 

"Go  to  bed,  Forrest!" 

"Are  you  angry  with  me?" 

"Go  to  bed!" 

The  boy  obeyed  and  Mother  Lee  entered  the 
adjoining  room  and  retired  for  the  night.  An 
hour  later  a  soft  boyish  voice  came  through  the 
dark  to  her  ear. 

"Mother  Lee!" 

"What  is  it?" 

"I  can't  sleep." 

"Why  not?" 

The  boy  arose  and  came  to  her  bedside. 
Sinking  down  upon  the  floor  beside  her  he  burst 
out  in  sobs. 

1 '  Forrest !    What  ails  you  ? ' ' 

"I  shall  never  go  away  with  Father  when  it 
is  against  your  will. ' ' 

"But  you've  promised  your  father  that  you 
would  go,  and  it  isn't  principle  to  go  back  on 
your  word." 

"I  would  rather  go  back  on  my  word  than  dis- 
appoint you. ' ' 

Mother  Lee  remained  silent,  secretly  enjoying 
the  affection  the  boy  held  for  her.  It  was  worth 
a  great  deal  to  her  to  know  that  those  about 


58        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

her  respected  her,  and  were  willing  to  do  her 
bidding. 

She  placed  her  hand  on  his  head  and  an- 
swered : 

"You  are  not  going  to  disappoint  me.  We'll 
try  out  the  mountains  and  see  how  it  works. ' ' 

* '  Oh,  Mother  Lee !  You  are  so  good, ' '  catch- 
ing her  wrinkled  hand  and  covering  it  with 
kisses. 

She  was  a  little  startled  at  his  enthusiasm. 
She  had  never  seen  him  so  excited  before  and 
she  spoke  before  thinking: 

"It's  the  blood  of  your  mother  that  keeps  you 
stirred  up  for  them  mountains,  and  sooner  or 
later  you  will  wind  up  there,  anyhow,  so  it's 
best,  I  suppose,  for  you  to  get  an  early  training. 
Now  go  to  bed,  and  to-morrow  we  will  talk  it 
over." 

Forrest  went  back  to  bed,  but  like  Mother 
Lee,  he  lay  awake,  thinking,  the  greater  part  of 
the  night. 


CHAPTER  IX 

AN   ECCENTKIC  GUEST 

ALOUD  firm  knock  scattered  the  chil- 
dren and  Mother  Lee  called  out: 
"Come  in." 
The  knock  was  repeated. 

"Some  stranger,  Forrest.    Go  to  the  door!" 

Forrest  swung  the  door  wide  open,  stepped 
back  and  Mother  Lee  got  a  full  view  of  a  group 
standing  framed  in  by  the  door  casing. 

She  quickly  observed  a  small  man  of  the  Eng- 
lish type.  His  faded  tan  clothing  was  as 
wrinkled  as  his  face.  His  light  derby  hat  with 
its  flat  top  and  narrow,  rolling  brim  sat  loosely 
upon  a  mass  of  rather  long,  wiry  grey  hair. 
The  hat,  as  he  talked,  kept  bobbing  as  if  it  were 
on  springs.  His  thin,  clean-shaven  face  and 
hollow,  sunken  eyes  did  not  improve  the  looks 
of  his  hawk-like  profile.  Beside  him,  and  ap- 
parently very  tired,  stood  a  thin  small  woman, 
also  of  the  English  type  and  two  young 
daughters,  as  fair  and  delicate  in  appearance  as 
their  mother.  About  them  were  several  grips, 
shawls  in  straps  and  a  lunch  basket. 

"How  do  you  do?  Come  in!"  spoke  Mother 
Lee. 

59 


60        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

"Is  this  a  lodging  house?"  asked  the  English- 
man in  a  thin  sharp  voice. 

"My  home  is  not  a  lodging  house,  but  it  is 
open  to  the  public.  Do  you  wish  to  stay  over 
night?" 

"Exactly.  Perhaps  a  fortnight,"  gathering 
up  two  heavy,  leather  cases  with  surprising 
strength. 

Forrest  stepped  forward  and  caught  up  an- 
other which  the  daughters  had  been  carrying. 

"Did  you  walk  from  the  station?" 

"Exactly!    I  saw  no  conveyance." 

"Come  this  way!"  and  Mother  Lee  led  the 
family  to  the  big  square  room. 

"This  room  has  held  many  circus  troups.  I 
take  it  for  granted  that  that  is  your  business." 

"No,  madam,  you're  mistaken.  We're  tour- 
ists. This  is  my  wife  and  these  are  my 
daughters." 

"I  see.  Well,  you  can  all  bunk  in  here.  You 
and  your  wife  may  sleep  in  this  bed  and  the 
two  girls  can  take  the  single  ones." 

"What's  that?"  contracting  a  pair  of  shaggy 
eyebrows.  "I  prefer  my  own  room,  and  fur- 
nished, if  you  please." 

"Furnished?" 

"Yes,  yes.  A  carpet,  a  settee,  and  these 
windows  covered." 

"We  don't  have  any  such  superfluous  orna- 
ments about  here.  We  are  satisfied  with  what 
we  get  and  we  double  up  if  necessary.  If  you 


AN  ECCENTRIC  GUEST  61 

don't  want  to  sleep  with  your  wife  you  can  go 
upstairs  and  double  up  with  one  of  the  Swedes 
from  the  stone-quarry,  and  the  girls  can  stay 
here  with  their  mother.  She  looks  like  a  woman 
used  to  putting  up  with  all  sorts  of  conditions. ' ' 

' '  What 's  this  ?    Double  up  ? " 

"Yes,  sleep  with  him." 

"No,  no." 

"Well,  then,  Forrest,  show  him  up  to  the  attic 
room. ' ' 

"Yes.  Marion,  Fern  and  I  can  manage  very 
nicely.  Let  Father  have  his  own  room." 

' '  What  is  this,  a  ladder  ? ' '  gazing  up  an  almost 
perpendicular  stairway. 

"No,  the  ladder  is  in  the  stable,"  and  Mother 
Lee,  returning  to  the  kitchen,  displayed  no 
further  interest. 

"He  wants  to  know  if  you  have  a  room  with 
running  water,"  said  Forrest  a  moment  later. 

Mother  Lee  thought  a  moment. 

"I  guess  he  means  a  pump.  No.  Tell  him 
the  nearest  running  water  we  have  is  the  big 
ditch  back  of  the  house." 

"What  brings  such  people  up  here?"  asked 
Forrest. 

"Curiosity,  I  suppose." 

The  younger  of  the  daughters,  the  image  of 
her  mother,  came  timidly  into  the  kitchen. 

"Please  may  I  have  a  towel  and  some  warm 
water?  Mother  is  not  at  all  well." 

"Of  course,  my  child.    Take  that  wash  pan, 


62        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

and  there  is  plenty  of  hot  water  in  the  kettle,  on 
the  stove!" 

"  Thank  you. " 

' '  She  looks  as  if  she  were  about  ready  to  cry, ' ' 
whispered  Forrest,  as  the  girl  disappeared  into 
the  room. 

1  'Who  could  help  it — around  such  a  lunatic. 
But  who's  driving  in?"  hearing  the  sound  of 
wheels  on  the  brick  driveway. 

Forrest  looked  out. 

"It's  Sam  Ditmar." 

At  the  mention  of  the  name,  a  small  girl 
jumped  up  from  the  floor  in  the  corner  of  the 
kitchen  and  ran  to  her  mother. 

"Daddy  has  come  to  take  us  home." 

"It's  about  time  he  was  showing  up,"  spoke 
Mother  Lee  indifferently. 

The  news  brought  Rose  into  the  kitchen  and 
to  the  window. 

"It's  Sam  all  right,"  she  said  with  uneasiness 
in  her  voice,  yet  her  eyes  had  a  look  of  stubborn- 
ness. 

"Don't  fly  up  in  your  harness!  It's  your 
place  to  be  reasonable.  He  has  come  more  than 
half  way. ' ' 

"He  doesn't  love  me  or  he  never  would  have 
stayed  away  all  this  time." 

' '  Better  not  judge  the  man  until  you  've  heard 
his  verdict." 

Mother  Lee  smiled  inwardly  when  she  saw  the 
pouting  expression  of  "Valley  Rose"  as  she  had 


AN  ECCENTRIC  GUEST  63 

always  been  called,  who  stooped  full  of  motherly 
feeling  and  picked  up  her  baby  and  nestled  it  to 
her  breast.  The  action,  through  instinct,  caused 
the  other  children  to  cry,  and  by  the  time  Sam 
reached  the  kitchen  door,  the  young  mother  had 
rushed  with  her  children  to  the  adjoining  room. 

The  sound  of  feet  upon  the  porch  brought 
Mother  Lee  to  the  door. 

"Hello,  Sam!" 

"Howdy,  Mother!"  said  Sam  with  a  broad 
smile. 

"SamDitmar!  Where  have  you  been?  It's 
nigh  on  to  a  year  since  you  were  here." 

"Working  like  a  trooper,  and  I  am  as  happy 
as  a  lark.  Got  shade  trees  growing,  and  a  new 
house.  The  new  ditch  runs  through  my  ranch 
and  in  another  year  I  will  have  the  prettiest 
place  in  the  whole  valley." 

"What  put  that  notion  in  your  head?"  said 
Mother  Lee,  giving  him  a  sly  wink  and  nodding 
her  head  toward  the  adjoining  room. 

Sam  understood  and  he  burst  forth  enthusi- 
astically. 

"My  wife!  My  Rose!  God,  Mother,  how 
I've  missed  her.  But  I  just  made  up  my  mind 
to  punish  myself  for  the  years  I  have  neglected 
her.  What  a  selfish  thing  a  man  is  when  he 
lives  solely  in  that  future  stuff !  You  certainly 
opened  my  eyes  when  you  told  me  that  all  we 
possess  and  can  ever  possess  is  only  loaned  to 
us  during  our  stay  on  earth.  God,  how  true! 


64         THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

How  blind  we  can  be  to  deny  ourselves  all  things 
necessary  to  happiness!  Will  Rose  ever  for- 
give me?  Where  is  she?  She  doesn't  know 
that  I've  been  with  her  constantly  in  thought. 
She  doesn't  know  that  I  have  stolen  up  here 
on  my  horse  many  times  to  catch  a  glimpse  of 
her  through  the  windows  and  to  throw  kisses  to 
her  and  the  little  ones.  I  did  not  worry  about 
her  when  I  found  out  she  was  here  with  you. ' ' 

Another  wink,  and  a  toss  of  Mother  Lee's 
head  sent  Sam  to  the  adjoining  room  with  a 
single  bound. 

The  next  instant  nothing  could  be  heard  save 
cries  of  joy  and  loud  kisses. 

Mother  Lee  continued  her  work  about  the 
kitchen,  satisfied.  After  supper,  she  and  the 
children  went  as  far  as  the  stable  to  see  the 
reunited  family  start  out  for  home. 

Sam  managed  to  squeeze  Mother  Lee 's  hand ; 
all  but  kissed  her  as  he  whispered : 

"God  bless  you." 


The  English  family,  after  finishing  their  even- 
ing meal,  carried  their  chairs  with  them  and 
were  about  to  congregate  on  the  dining-room 
porch.  They  were  commenting  on  the  scenery 
when  Mother  Lee  approached  and  eyed  them 
coldly,  vexed  at  the  unusual  liberty  they  had 
taken. 

"Have  you  any  knowledge  of  what  land  sells 


AN  ECCENTRIC  GUEST  65 

for  about  here?"  called  out  the  shrill  voiced 
Englishman. 

"I  ought  to !    I've  been  here  all  my  life. " 

"Would  you  mind  giving  me  an  estimate?" 

"Not  at  all  if  you  come  and  sit  in  the  kitchen 
where  I  can  finish  my  work.  Besides  I  don't 
think  the  paint  on  this  porch  is  dry  yet,"  and 
she  snatched  the  chairs  and  dragged  them  back 
into  the  dining-room  before  the  English  family 
had  fully  comprehended  her  meaning. 

"We'll  take  a  stroll  up  the  drive,  Father," 
spoke  Marion. 

"By  all  means," — waving  them  away. 

"You  go  along  with  them,  Forrest!  It  will 
soon  be  dark.  They're  not  used  to  the  moun- 
tains yet,"  and  Mother  Lee  led  the  eccentric 
Englishman  to  the  kitchen. 

"What  kind  of  land  are  you  looking  for?" 

"Land  where  there  is  solitude." 

"You'll  find  plenty  of  that  down  yonder  in 
them  sand-hills,  or  up  there  above  timberline. 
Which  do  you  want,  the  sun  or  the  shade  ? ' ' 

"Doesn't  matter,  so  long  as  there  is  solitude. 
I  want  to  be  alone — away  from  the  noisy  prattle 
of  the  world,  so  I  can  write — write — write — " 

"The  *  cooler'  is  what  you  want,"  and  she 
scrutinised  him  suspiciously. 

"I  want  land  and  lots  of  it — a  vast  expanse," 
waving  his  hand  in  a  sweeping  gesture, ' '  where 
I  can  found  an  estate — " 

"Are  you  going  to  squat?" 


66        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

"Squat?  Squat?  Explain — what  do  you 
mean  by  squat?" 

11  Squat  means  to  stake  out  a  claim  for  your- 
self and  hang  on  to  it  for  dear  life  without  pay- 
ing for  it. ' ' 

"No,  I  don't  want  to  *  squat.'  I  want  to  buy 
and  pay  for  my  land.  I  have  plenty  of  money. ' ' 

"Well,  I'd  advise  you  to  squat  right  here  and 
wait  until  Old  Dave  comes  down  from  them 
mountains.  He  '11  sell  you  more  land  than  you  '11 
want.  He's  property  poor." 

"Will  it  give  rest  to  a  tired  soul?" 

"If  it  doesn't  there's  a  grave-yard  up  there 
that  will." 

"Not  that — not  that — I  only  want  to  be 
alone." 

"What  about  your  wife  and  children?" 

"It  is  not  for  them.  It's  for  the  craving  of 
my  soul.  I  must  be  alone — apart  from  the 
world  where  I  can  write — write — write — " 

"What  do  you  write,  prose  or  poetry?" 

"Both." 

"It  is  the  'cooler'  you  want,"  and  again 
Mother  Lee  eyed  him  critically. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  LONE   COYOTE 

AS  the  great  yellow  moon  came  up  at 
midnight,   it   sent  its   mellow  light 
caressingly  down  through  the  top  of 
the  dense  forest  wherever  it  could 
penetrate  to  kiss  gently  its  lovemate,  the  ma- 
jestic silence,  the  queen  of  night. 

In  one  of  the  illuminated  spots  at  the  corner 
of  Old  Dave 's  cabin,  was  the  entrance  to  a  dug- 
out, the  home  of  his  lone  coyote.  The  only  sign 
of  life  was  the  iridescent  glistening  of  her  rest- 
less eyes,  which  shone  from  the  small  black 
cavern,  into  which  she  had  crawled  after  an  un- 
usual fright  late  in  the  afternoon.  It  happened, 
when  Old  Dave  had  returned  at  sundown  and 
while  she  was  prancing  in  her  usual  delight,  that 
her  chain  snapped  and  sent  her  sprawling  out 
of  her  furrowed  path.  It  had  so  frightened  her 
that  she  remained  in  her  den  afraid  to  venture 
out.  Even  the  scraps  from  Dave 's  plate  did  not 
persuade  her  to  risk  herself.  But  the  midnight 
moon  and  the  great  silence  gave  her  confidence. 
Inch  by  inch  she  crawled  out  on  the  surface  of 
the  cool  earth  and  timidly  gained  her  feet. 
Something  prompted  her  to  shake  her  shaggy 

87 


68         THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WOELD 

coat,  and  the  remaining  part  of  the  chain  struck 
hard  against  her  yellow  breast.  It  startled  her, 
and  she  tried  to  lick  it  away  with  her  long  red 
tongue,  but  the  action  only  brought  her  greater 
annoyance  and  she  again  viciously  shook  her 
shaggy  self.  After  a  pause  she  lifted  her  head, 
scented  the  air  and  bravely  stepped  out  of  the 
furrowed  path  only  to  spring  back  and  tremble. 
The  next  instant  she  affectionately  nosed  the 
corner  of  the  dugout,  where  hung  the  rest  of 
her  chain. 

Her  grief,  apparently,  was  so  great  that  in- 
stinct prompted  her  to  do  something  she  had 
never  done  before.  She  sat  back  on  her  hind 
legs  and  put  her  nose  high  in  the  air  and  began 
howling  as  if  her  heart  were  broken. 

Big  Dave  stirred  upon  his  pillow,  but  he  was 
too  tired  to  be  entirely  awakened,  and  the  lone 
coyote  continued  her  lonely  howls  until  dawn 
drove  her  back  into  the  furthest  corner  of  her 
dugout.  There  she  remained  all  day  until  the 
moon  encouraged  her  to  come  out  and  devour 
the  scraps  that  Big  Dave  had  mechanically 
scraped  to  her  without  so  much  as  a  glance  in 
her  direction.  She  explored  a  little  more  in  her 
freedom.  The  newness  of  it  all  again  sent  her 
voice  out  in  low,  appealing  howls.  Like  a  wire- 
less distress  call,  sent  out  in  the  silence  of  night, 
her  pealing  voice  reached  a  receiving  station, 
far  below,  where  the  grey,  colourless  sky  and  the 
sand  and  sage-brush  hills  blended  into  a  dry, 


THE  LONE  COYOTE  69 

dusty,  crusted  ridge  of  broken  crags ;  where  the 
same  yellow  moon  lit  up  a  weird  world  of  loneli- 
ness, the  home  of  a  pack  of  wild  coyotes. 

It  was  there  and  on  the  very  highest  ledge  of 
a  rock,  that  their  leader,  a  great  brown  coyote, 
was  silhouetted  against  the  sky,  as  motionless  as 
if  he  were  a  part  of  the  jagged  pedestal  upon 
which  he  stood.  His  ears  were  alert  for  any 
sound  that  might  disturb  the  silence.  His  pierc- 
ing eyes  searched  the  moonlit  country  about 
him  for  the  slightest  move  of  the  sage-brush  or 
a  shadow  of  a  prairie  dog  or  rabbit  upon  which 
he  could  appease  the  hunger  that  had  been 
gnawing  at  his  vitals  for  days. 

Suddenly,  there  broke  in  upon  the  silence,  a 
sound  which  brought  him  to  immediate  action. 
He  quickly  drew  in  his  lolling  tongue  and  his 
great  sinewy  body  became  rigid  with  the  desire 
to  kill.  It  was  the  shrill  distress  call  of  the 
female  of  his  kin  that  he  had  heard  which  caused 
him  to  fall  back  on  his  haunches,  put  his  nose 
high  in  the  air  and  send  out  into  the  stillness 
of  night  his  answer  to  assure  her  that  her  call 
had  been  heard. 

He  bounded  from  the  rock  and  trotted  off 
across  the  barren  country  for  miles,  until  he 
came  to  the  edge  of  the  dense  forest.  The 
fantastic  shadows  made  him  hesitate  with  fear 
and  sniff  the  air.  He  knew  that  beyond  those 
shadows  lived  man,  and  man  was  his  one  great 
enemy.  He  well  knew,  from  former  experience 


70        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

and  from  seeing  other  members  of  his  pack  come 
in  contact  with  men  that  his  endeavour  to  assist 
her  would  mean  death  to  them  both  unless  he 
could  cunningly  contrive  some  scheme  which 
would  enable  him  to  assist  her  without  entering 
into  combat  with  his  great  enemy. 

Again  came  the  shrill  cry  and  again  the  big 
brown  coyote  sat  back  on  his  haunches  and  sent 
forth  his  answer.  Another  wave  of  cowardly 
fear  surged  through  his  veins.  He  arose  and 
snarled  viciously  at  the  moon  and  the  dark 
forest  before  him.  He  was  mad  with  desire  to 
protect  but  those  great  dark  shadows,  which 
mocked  and  tantalised  him,  drove  him  back  a 
few  yards  into  his  open  world.  Another  plain- 
tive call  from  the  darkness  of  the  forest  and  he 
bristled  his  back  with  a  determination  to  go 
forth  and  investigate.  His  slender  body  glided 
swiftly  up  through  the  shadows,  his  eyes  flash- 
ing like  tiny  search  lights  in  every  direction. 

Suddenly  there  came  a  storm,  a  dense  black- 
ness. The  thunder  rattled  and  shook  the 
forest.  The  lightning  flashed  in  streaks  of  fire 
and  the  rain  came  down  in  torrents.  But  the 
big,  brown  king  put  back  his  ears  and  sailed 
swiftly  on.  Now  and  then  he  stopped  to  sniff 
the  air  and  listen  to  the  low  wailing  voice  which 
was  still  calling  him. 

At  last  he  reached  a  clearing  where  Big 
Dave's  cabin  stood.  The  storm  had  suddenly 
ceased  and  the  moon  had  reappeared.  The  lone 


THE  LONE  COYOTE  71 

coyote  no  longer  called.  Only  her  glistening 
eyes  were  visible  from  the  entrance  to  her  en- 
trenchment. She  had  spied  the  great  brown 
fellow  and  her  heart  fluttered  with  fear  and 
excitement. 

Her  king  shook  the  rain  from  his  shaggy  coat 
and  trotted  closer  but  stopped  as  he  saw  a 
warning  in  the  two  fiery  eyes  of  the  lone  coyote 
who  snarled  and  showed  her  teeth  as  he  ap- 
proached. Suddenly,  he  turned  and  trotted 
away  a  short  distance,  sniffed  the  air  and  gave 
a  low,  pleasing  whine.  His  appeal  brought  her 
to  the  mouth  of  her  den  and  she  began  to  crouch 
and  whine.  Her  king  trotted  closer  to  her. 
Still,  some  distance  apart,  they  stood  eyeing 
each  other  until  daybreak  drove  the  great  brown 
fellow  back  over  his  course.  He  reached  the 
sage-brush  hills  just  in  time  to  avoid  the  morn- 
ing sun. 

The  lone  coyote  whined  and  followed  a  short 
distance  after  the  fleeing  figure,  but  she  soon 
returned,  shaking  with  excitement,  and  entered 
her  dugout. 

The  next  evening  when  darkness  had  set  in 
and  safety  was  assured,  she  once  more  sent  out 
her  cry,  and  watched  patiently  through  the 
opening.  A  thrill  tingled  her  thin  body  as  she 
saw  her  king  again  stand  in  the  clearing.  Her 
fear  lessened  as  he  came  closer.  Again  he  went 
away  and  again  the  following  night  he  returned. 
During  those  majestic  nightly  visits  there 


72        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

sprang  between  them  an  endearing  friendship. 
She  awaited  his  coming  and  she  divided  her 
scraps  with  him.  He  drank  from  her  water 
pan  and  she  ventured  out  of  her  furrowed  path 
and  followed  him  about  the  clearing. 

Then  a  night  came,  a  night  when  the  moon 
was  again  yellow  and  full,  and  the  forest  was 
enchanting  with  its  charms.  Her  big  brown 
king  came  trotting  up  and  kissed  her,  and,  his 
magnetic  influence  overpowered  her.  She  fol- 
lowed him  through  the  dark  forest,  on,  through 
the  shadows  and  out  into  an  open  world.  At 
first  she  was  frightened  but  the  low  coaxing  of 
her  king  encouraged  her  on.  The  remaining 
links  of  the  chain  that  had  so  long  held  her  a 
captive,  jingled  at  her  breast  as  they  trotted 
on  over  a  world  she  had  never  known.  Tired 
and  frightened,  she  at  last  reached  the  sage- 
brush ledge,  and  to  her  astonishment,  the  home 
of  her  people.  She  crouched  behind  her  big 
brown  king  and  eyed  his  pack  with  curiosity. 
She  trembled  when  she  heard  them  send  forth 
a  volley  of  howls  which  she  understood  was 
their  dislike  for  her.  But  her  king  held  them 
at  bay  and  she  soon  found  refuge  in  a  dugout 
similar  to  her  own,  and,  which  she  soon  learned 
was  his  home,  and  she  was  to  be  his  mate. 

To  her,  strange  days  followed;  days  of  ter- 
rific heat.  She  looked  out  timidly  over  a  dry, 
dusty  world.  She  suffered  and  panted  in  her 
hot  dry  home  in  the  daytime,  but  at  night  she 


THE  LONE  COYOTE  73 

followed  her  king  with  the  rest  of  the  pack  in 
search  of  food.  Many  a  hair-raising  adventure 
they  encountered  but  still  she  kept  within  a  few 
inches  of  her  king.  An  occasional  rabbit  or 
prairie  chicken  made  up  their  scanty  feasts. 
Hunger  sometimes  drove  them  to  the  scattered 
ranches  in  search  of  sheep. 

Then  there  came  to  her  the  last  and  most 
thrilling  trip.  It  was  when  the  frost  began  to 
gather  upon  the  barren  world.  It  was  when 
her  great  king's  pack  began  to  feel  winter's 
starvation  coming  on.  It  was  during  wild-duck 
season  when  the  best  they  could  do  was  to  howl 
and  snap  viciously  at  the  air  as  a  flock  of  ducks 
flew  overhead,  on  their  way  to  the  alkali  swamps 
below.  It  was  at  night  when  the  moon  hung 
low  in  the  western  sky.  Hunger  had  driven  her 
king's  pack  to  the  low,  boggy  land  where  they 
had  scented  fresh  blood,  which  added  to  their 
ferocity.  With  lowered  heads  they  snapped 
and  snarled  and  growled  at  the  earth  as  they 
rushed  along,  following  a  tiny  trail  of  blood. 
They  bounded  over  the  open  country  and  soon 
sighted,  at  the  brow  of  a  hill,  a  lone  hunter 
with  a  gun  and  a  string  of  ducks  over  his 
shoulders.  The  scent  of  blood  maddened  them 
— caused  them  to  forget  all  fear  of  hunter  and 
gun  as  they  rushed  over  the  frosty  ground. 

The  hunter,  hearing  the  snarling  pack  behind, 
broke  into  a  run.  In  his  scramble  to  crawl 
through  a  barbed  wire  fence  he  left  some 


feathers  and  one  duck  behind.  In  a  snarling 
heap  the  pack  stopped  to  devour  it,  giving  the 
hunter  a  greater  gain. 

Her  king,  who  was  in  the  lead,  seemed  to 
know  and  rushed  onward,  followed  by  the 
hungry  pack,  again  snapping  at  the  empty  air. 

Breathless  and  panting,  she  tried  to  keep 
pace  with  him  but  he  seemed  to  have  forgotten 
her.  The  others  snapped  and  tore  at  her  flesh. 
Moaning  and  wailing  she  kept  on  until  she 
realised  that  they  had  reached  man's  door. 
The  blood-thirsty  pack  sat  back  on  their 
haunches  and  gave  out  a  wail  of  disappoint- 
ment, for  they  knew  that  a  door  barred  their 
entrance.  And  then,  as  if  scenting  danger,  they 
wheeled  and  started  swiftly  back,  her  great 
brown  king  still  in  the  lead.  She  was  unable 
to  keep  pace  and  panting  for  breath  she  fell 
far  behind.  She  was  not  urged  on  as  were  the 
others  by  fear,  for  she  was  accustomed  to  man. 

A  sharp  crack  of  a  shot  sounded  in  the  still 
morning  air  and  she  felt  a  pain  in  her  side. 
She  tried  to  keep  going,  but  she  began  to  feel 
faint — staggered  about  and  soon  sank  to  the 
dust.  She  howled  for  help  but  the  pack  rushed 
madly  on  without  hearing  her.  She  licked  the 
wound,  that  she  might  gain  strength  to  follow 
her  great  king,  but  a  second  shot  rang  out.  An- 
other sharp  pain  and  her  head  fell  limply  to  the 
ground.  Her  glassy  eyes  gradually  centred 
upon  Dakota's  smiling,  triumphant  face. 


THE  LONE  COYOTE  75 

Her  great  brown  king  never  came  back.  He 
knew  what  had  happened.  Night  after  night, 
when  the  moon  was  in  its  yellow  robe,  he  stood 
out  upon  his  stony  ledge  and  sent  out  into  the 
clear  night,  the  call  for  his  lost  mate. 


CHAPTER  XI 

FORBEST   AND   FEEX 

IT  had  been  arranged  that  the  thin  little 
woman,  Mrs.  Dale,  and  her  two  daughters 
were  to  remain  with  Mother  Lee  while  the 
father  went  with  Old  Dave  to  look  over 
the  land. 

Mother  Lee  gave  a  sigh  of  relief  when  she 
watched  the  men  drive  away.  There  was  some- 
thing about  the  eccentric  man  that  she  would 
like  to  have  changed,  but  she  knew  she  had  not 
the  power  to  do  so  and  she  satisfied  herself 
by  saying: 

"When  a  man's  crazy  he's  crazy  all  over." 

The  older  daughter  remained  the  greater  part 
of  the  time  in  the  large  corner  room  with  her 
mother,  but  the  younger,  Fern,  found  more 
pleasure  with  the  children  outdoors. 

"Forrest!  Why  do  you  stand  and  stare  at 
that  little  girl?" 

"Don't  know  unless  it's  because  she's  so 
beautiful.  She's  just  like  an  angel." 

Mother  Lee  stopped  in  the  midst  of  her  cook- 
ing— crossed  to  the  window  and  looked  out. 

76 


FORREST  AND  FEEN  77 

"Yes,  Forrest,  you  are  right.  She  is  just 
like  an  angel.  She's  as  dainty  and  delicate  as 
the  plant  whose  name  she  bears." 

"Fern!"  Forrest  said  slowly.  "I  never 
thought  of  her  that  way." 

A  sudden  uplifting  of  a  pair  of  blue  eyes  and 
a  happy  toss  of  yellow  curls  caused  Forrest  to 
step  closer  to  the  window. 

"Come  away,  Forrest.  It  isn't  polite  to  stare 
that  way!" 

He  slowly  backed  away,  saying : 

' 1 1  just  want  to  stand  and  look  at  her  all  the 
time." 

"The  first  thing  you  know,  you  will  be  dream- 
ing about  her." 

"I  have  already." 

"Ha,  ha !"  chuckled  Mother  Lee. 

"It  isn't  wrong  to  dream  of  angels,  is  it?" 
— studying  the  smile  upon  Mother  Lee's  face. 

"I  thought  real  angels  were  only  found  in 
Heaven!"  her  smile  broadening. 

"Couldn't  just  one  slip  through  and  come 
to  earth?"  asked  Forrest. 

"Perhaps  so.  Who  knows.  Heaven  ought 
to  open  up  and  let  out  an  angel  for  each  of  us." 

"Do  you  suppose  she  is  intended  to  be  my 
angel?" 

The  earnestness  of  the  boy's  voice  caused 
Mother  Lee  to  stop  and  stare  at  him.  It  flashed 
to  her  mind  that  Forrest  had  more  than  a  boy's 
instinct. 


78         THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

1 '  Fifteen  years  old.  Why,  Forrest !  You  are 
entirely  too  young  to  think  of  a  girl." 

A  deep  flush  suffused  his  fine  features  and 
his  slender,  brown  hand  went  to  his  throat.  He 
looked  as  if  he  was  ready  to  cry. 

"Forrest,  you  can't  deceive  Mother  Lee. 
You  are  in  love  with  this  tender,  green  little 
Fern!" 

Forrest  attempted  to  hide  his  face  but  Mother 
Lee  quickly  drew  his  hands  down. 

"What's  the  matter  with  you?  Are  you 
ashamed  of  it?  Only  guilty,  evil  thoughts  make 
people  hide  their  faces." 

An  inky  fire  flashed  from  Forrest's  eyes  as 
he  straightened  up  and  looked  at  Mother  Lee. 

"No,  ma'am!  I  never  had  bad  thoughts.  I 
just  don't  know  what  is  the  matter  with  me." 

"I  know  what  ails  you.  It  is  not  wrong  for 
you  to  love  this  dear  little  creature,  but  you 
must  know  for  sure  the  truth  of  the  matter. 
When  the  God  Farmer  sowed  the  human  seeds, 
he  got  two  natures  mixed  up  a  little,  Love  and 
Infatuation,  and  sometimes  the  little  master 
within  you  has  a  hard  task  differentiating  be- 
tween them.  Love  is  the  purest  and  dearest 
nature  in  our  lives,  but  Infatuation  is  a  curse, 
in  time.  When  the  God  Farmer  began  plant- 
ing his  human  seeds  he  took  great  care  to  split 
each  one.  One  half  he  called  male  and  the 
other  female,  and  he  laughed  when  he  thought 
what  a  fretful  time  those  little  halves  would 


FORREST  AND  FERN  79 

have  finding  each  other  again.  So  he  mixed 
up  all  the  halves  with  other  ingredients  one  of 
which  was  wisdom,  and  planted  them,  as  you 
already  know,  to  grow  up  into  man  and  woman. 
But  the  development  of  this  wisdom  is  not  com- 
plete until  within  the  twentieth  year.  That  is 
when  the  real  Love  is  supposed  to  blossom  into 
rosy  colours  of  understanding,  but  beware  of 
Infatuation.  It  acts  like  Love.  It  makes  your 
heart  palpitate  and  so  on.  Forrest,  I  want  you 
to  be  very  careful  and  study  your  feelings 
toward  this  little  girl,  this  tender  little  leaf 
which  the  God  Farmer  intends  for  some  good 
mate." 

Forrest  straightened  back  his  shoulders  and 
folded  his  arms  across  his  chest  and  listened, 
a  habit  he  had  acquired  when  a  very  small  boy. 

"  You  have  yet  a  few  years  to  decide,  because 
it 's  more  than  likely  you  will  be  thrown  a  great 
deal  in  her  company,  as  her  father  will  buy 
part  of  your  father's  land  and  there  the  old 
fossil  will  build  that  towering  mansion  he  talks 
about.  You  will  soon  go  and  join  your  father, 
and  perhaps  there  will  be  many  times  that  you 
will  be  lonely.  Then  is  when  Infatuation  will 
do  its  work,  and  throw  temptation  in  your  way. 
The  animal  nature  in  you,  which  is  more  or  less 
prevalent  in  all  mankind,  may  try  to  force  you 
to  destroy  that  little  bud.  Oh,  you  will  know. 
You  are  a  bright  boy  and  you  know  right  from 
wrong,  and  if  the  slightest  trace  of  evil  enters 


80        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WOELD 

your  mind,  go  hide  your  face  from  the  world 
until  you  are  master  of  yourself  again — then 
come  forth  with  a  clean  mind." 

The  kitchen  door  opened  slowly  and  the 
sunny  face  of  Fern  appeared. 

"Am  I  intruding! " 

"No,  come  in,"  answered  Mother  Lee. 

There  was  a  light,  airy  and  dainty  perfume 
about  Fern's  well  dressed  little  figure  that  did 
not  escape  Forrest.  He  quickly  pushed  back 
his  blue-black  hair  and  buttoned  his  coat. 

A  proud  look  came  into  Mother  Lee's  eyes. 
She  was  struck  forcibly  by  the  perfection  of 
the  two — their  harmony  of  years — the  absolute 
contrast  of  their  complexions — the  strength  of 
Forrest's  limbs,  the  delicacy  of  hers — the  clean, 
pure  exchange  of  glances — their  innocence — 
the  unfathomed  depths  of  their  slumbering 
future. 

Forrest  quickly  offered  Fern  a  chair  but  she 
thanked  him  politely  with  her  eyes  and  told  him 
that  she  was  going  to  her  mother.  He  watched 
her  disappear  into  the  big  corner  room. 

Mother  Lee  turned  her  attention  to  her  work, 
for  her  mind  was  quite  satisfied,  that  if  ever 
there  existed  a  perfect  affinity  in  two  human 
seeds,  it  truly  existed  in  these  slumbering  buds 
of  sweet  innocence. 


CHAPTER 

HER   EAGLE   EYE 

IT  all  happened  just  as  Mother  Lee  had 
predicted.  The  Englishman  after  shrewd 
calculation,  brought  a  deal  to  a  close  with 
Old  Dave  and  had  much  the  better  of  the 
bargain. 

He  spent  several  weeks  about  Cottage  Home 
where  he  talked  "building"  to  every  one  until 
Mother  Lee's  patience  gave  way  and  she  at  last 
told  him  that  he  would  most  likely  have  to  send 
back  to  England  for  competent  craftsmen  to  lay 
out  his  estate,  but  his  wife  and  older  daughter 
finally  persuaded  him  to  patronise  home  in- 
dustry. 

In  the  course  of  time  a  small  army  of  work- 
men entered  the  forest  and  transformed  a  wild, 
uncultivated  land  into  skilfully  decorated 
grounds,  walled  in  by  tall,  rugged,  sweet-scented 
pines.  In  the  centre  of  the  grounds  they 
erected  a  large  stone  house. 

It  was  a  happy  moment  for  Mother  Lee  when 
she  was  told  that  the  Dales  were  ready  to  take 
possession  of  their  new  home. 

"Six  weeks  more  with  that  madman  in  the 

81 


82        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

house  would  have  been  my  finish.  I  haven't 
any  use  for  a  person  who  can't  be  moulded 
over,"  scolded  Mother  Lee,  more  to  herself  as 
she  grabbed  up  some  of  his  luggage  and  piled 
it  into  a  surrey  to  hasten  their  departure. 

"Good  riddance  to  bad  rubbish!"  she  said 
as  she  watched  him  drive  away.  "And  God 
pity  the  rest  of  you ! ' '  waving  her  hand  to  the 
mother  and  daughters.  "The  old  reprobate! 
Who's  that  coming?"  and  Mother  Lee  lowered 
her  voice  and  looked  toward  the  road. 

"It's  another  stranger.  A  man," — spoke  up 
Forrest. 

"It  never  rains  but  what  it  pours.  How-do- 
you-do,  sir!" 

"Is  this  a  boarding  house?" 

"My  home  is  open  to  you.  What  do  you 
want?" — keenly  eyeing  a  tall,  clean  cut  young 
man,  her  mind  instantly  associating  him  with 
one  of  the  stylish  figures  she  had  noticed  in  a 
catalogue  of  men's  clothing. 

"I  want  to  stay  over  night.  I'm  expecting 
my  wife  in  the  morning,"  said  he  and  Mother 
Lee's  eyes  grew  keener. 

That  evening  at  the  supper  table  she  frowned 
at  the  polished  lingo  of  the  talkative  young 
stranger. 

"That  man  bears  watching,"  she  said  to 
Forrest  a  little  later. 

When  bedtime  came  she  handed  him  a  lantern 
and  pointed  up  the  stairs  to  his  room. 


HER  EAGLE  EYE  83 

" Never  mind  me,  Mother," — having  heard 
everyone  else  call  her  Mother.  "You're  old 
and  should  be  in  bed.  I  think  I  '11  sit  out  on  the 
porch  awhile.  I'm  not  used  to  such  early 
hours. " 

Mother  Lee  did  not  answer  him  for  her  mind 
was  made  up.  She  retired  but  did  not  go  to 
sleep  until  after  midnight  after  the  young  man 
had  noisily  entered  the  house,  leaving  a  trail 
of  cigarette  smoke  behind  him  on  his  way  to  the 
stairs. 

"Douse  your  lantern  and  leave  it  outside 
your  door  and  don't  smoke  that  hop  in  the 
house." 

"Douse  it?    Don't  think  I  understand." 

' '  This  way ! ' ' — and  she  reached  out  from  her 
bed  and  illustrated  her  meaning. 

"Oh,  I  see!    A  new  wrinkle." 

"No.  It's  the  oldest  and  safest.  Good- 
night, ' ' — and  she  pulled  the  covers  closer  about 
her. 

"I  never  felt  more  at  home.  It  seems  the 
same  as  when  I  used  to  pass  my  mother's  bed 
at  night." 

"This  is  just  the  same  as  your  mother's 
home  as  long  as  you  behave  yourself." 

"Of  course.     Goodnight." 

For  another  few  moments  all  was  quiet,  then 
a  volley  of  curses  brought  Mother  Lee  to  the 
stairway. 

"What's  the  matter  up  there?" 


84        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

"This  damn  lantern  won't  douse.'* 

"Bring  it  to  me!" 

The  young  man  in  white  pajamas  and  bare 
feet,  cautiously  worked  his  way  partly  down  the 
steep  stairs. 

Mother  Lee  snatched  the  lantern  and  with  a 
slight  jerk  extinguished  the  light. 

"Now  go  to  bed  in  the  dark!" 

The  young  man  did  so  without  complaint. 

The  next  day  toward  noon  brought  to  the 
kitchen  door  a  very  timid,  brown  eyed  girl, 
plainly  dressed,  who  asked  of  Mother  Lee : 

"Is  my  husband  here  yet?" 

"A  strange  man  stopped  here  last  night.  He 
is  now  at  the  railroad  station  to  meet  his  wife. ' ' 

"That's  him.  But  I  couldn't  come  that  way 
— I  mean — I  had  a  chance  to  come  across  with 
a  ranchman." 

"Step  in!" 

The  girl's  cheeks  had  grown  rosy  red,  and 
she  nervously  bit  her  lips. 

"Do  you  think  he  will  be  back  here  again?" 

"Why  not?  Husbands  generally  look  after 
their  wives.  Take  off  your  wraps  and  have  a 
cup  of  coffee.  You  look  tired." 

"No,  I'm  not  tired." 

"Just  worried  about  your  husband?" 

"Yes." 

"Evidently  you  haven't  been  married  long." 

"No,  not  long." 

"It  strikes  me  that  you  live  about  here." 


HER  EAGLE  EYE  85 

"Oh,  no.    I — I'm  from  the  city." 

"You're  from  the  sand-hills  down  yonder." 

"Oh,  no,  I'm  not." 

"Drink  your  coffee  before  your  husband 
comes  back." 

The  girl  tried  to  obey  but  she  choked  from 
nervousness. 

Mother  Lee  turned  and  began  working  about 
the  stove. 

"Maybe  you  would  like  to  shell  some  peas 
for  dinner  while  you're  sitting  there  at  the  win- 
dow. ' ' 

"I'll  be  glad  to," — taking  the  pan  from 
Mother  Lee. 

"What  kind  of  work  did  you  do  before  you 
got  married,"  quizzed  Mother  Lee  a  little  later. 

"I — I  was  a  factory  girl." 

Mother  Lee  smiled  faintly  down  at  the  bowed 
head  of  the  young  woman.  It  was  some  mo- 
ments before  she  again  ventured. 

"Your  wedding  ring  has  been  worn  pretty 
thin,  hasn't  it?" 

The  girl's  cheeks  turned  scarlet.  She  was 
slow,  answering.  She  finally  said: 

"It's  not  a  new  one.  Francis  said  it  once 
belonged  to  his  mother." 

"Yes.    He  spoke  of  his  mother  last  night." 

* '  Did  he  ?    What  did  he  say  ?  " 

* '  Haven 't  you  met  her  ? ' ' 

"No — but  I'm  going  to—" 

"When?" 


86         THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 


*  'Right  away.  There 's  where  he 's  taking  me 
now. ' ' 

The  girl  finished  shelling  the  peas  and  went 
to  the  door  just  as  a  flock  of  hungry  children 
from  school  came  rushing  up  to  the  porch. 

"Perhaps  I  had  better  go  to  the  station — " 

"No,  one  of  the  children  will  do  that" —  and 
Mother  Lee  glanced  at  "Prince"  Arthur  who 
quickly  responded. 

When  dinner  was  over  and  Mother  Lee  had 
started  to  prepare  the  children's  meal,  she 
stopped  long  enough  to  watch  the  greeting  be- 
tween the  girl  and  the  young  man,  which  was 
enthusiastic  enough  on  her  part  but  rather  in- 
different on  his. 

He  pulled  her  out  onto  the  porch  and  began 
talking  to  her  in  an  undertone. 

Mother  Lee  interrupted  and  ordered  them 
to  their  dinner. 

During  the  afternoon  she  caught  an  occa- 
sional glimpse  of  the  young  couple  who  seemed 
to  be  avoiding  her  as  much  as  possible. 

Once  the  young  woman  came  into  the  kitchen 
for  a  glass  of  water. 

"Francis  has  gone  to  the  station  to  see  if  his 
horses  are  here,"  she  said  to  Mother  Lee. 

"Is  he  a  horse  trainer?" 

"Oh,  no,  a  horse  trader.  He's  been  coming 
up  to  father's  ranch — " 

The  young  woman's  embarrassment  was 
noticeable. 


HEE  EAGLE  EYE  87 

"There,  there!  I  knew  you  were  a  girl  not 
used  to  lies.  You  don't  need  to  be  afraid  of 
me.  It's  no  sin  to  be  secretly  married." 

"You  won't  give  us  away,  will  you?" 

"Certainly  not." 

"Francis  is  nervous.  He  wants  to  get  away 
to-night,  but  the  horses  aren't  here.  He's 
afraid  dad  will  stop  us." 

"How  old  are  you?" 

"Seventeen." 

Mother  Lee  walked  away  and  said  no  more. 

As  the  purple  shades  of  night  were  deepening 
in  the  western  sky,  Mother  Lee  sat  resting. 

Forrest  stood  back  of  her  chair,  watching. 

"Have  you  anything  that  needs  mending?" 

"No.    All  my  clothes  are  packed." 

"When  is  your  father  coming  after  you?" 

* '  To-morrow. ' ' 

"Well,  my  boy,  your  life  work  begins.  I 
think  I  have  given  you  a  good  foundation  to 
stand  on,  so  put  it  to  a  good,  practical  use." 

"You  dear  Mother  Lee!  I  shall  always  be 
guided  by  you." 

"Here  comes  that  unusual  couple."  Mother 
Lee  stirred  a  little  and  moved  her  chair  back 
from  the  door.  She  saw  by  the  sudden  familiar 
manner  of  the  young  man  that  he  was  quite  at 
ease. 

"Won't  you  stay  up  and  have  some  popcorn 
with  us?" 


88        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WOULD 

"No,  I  thank  yon.  My  wife  and  I  are  tired 
and  want  to  go  to  our  room." 

Mother  Lee  was  not  looking  at  the  young  man. 
She  was  studying  the  features  of  the  girl. 

"Oh!  Let  us  stay  and  have  some  corn!" 
pleaded  the  girl. 

"Certainly.  Haul  up  your  chairs  and  join 
me  and  my  fledgelings.  You  see  I  have  quite 
a  party  of  them," — and  a  line  of  sparkling  eyes 
with  quick,  bashful  glances  were  upon  her. 

The  corn  was  popped  and  as  they  ate,  Mother 
Lee  told  stories  of  incidents,  simple  and  amus- 
ing, amid  numerous  interruptions  by  some  silent 
men  entering,  going  behind  the  stove1  and  taking 
their  lanterns  and  sauntering  upstairs  to  bed. 

The  children  had  finished  their  popcorn  and 
Mother  Lee  was  busy  sending  them  to  their 
beds. 

A  satisfied  smile  began  to  settle  about  the 
mouth  of  the  young  man,  while  a  pale  nervous- 
ness took  possession  of  the  girl. 

Mother  Lee  seemingly  saw  neither  nor  did 
she  pretend  to  hear  the  low  scolding  he  was 
pouring  into  the  girl's  ears. 

"Well,  I  guess  we'll  say  goodnight  to  you, 
Mother,"  spoke  up  the  young  man,  and  he  went 
as  the  others  had  done,  back  of  the  stove  for 
a  lantern. 

"You  and  your  wife  take  that  big,  corner 
spare  room." 

The  young  girl  rose  but  sat  down  again: 


HER  EAGLE  EYE  89 

then  rose  and  took  a  step  but  returned  to  her 
seat. 

A  low  sound  in  her  throat  caused  the  lantern 
to  jerk  in  the  young  man's  hand  but  he  con- 
cealed his  temper  by  saying : 

"You're  never  ready  to  go  to  bed.  Come 
on." 

The  girl,  white  as  death,  arose  and  held  out 
her  hand.  He  took  her  arm  firmly  and  led  her 
to  the  door. 

"Good  night,  Mother,"  he  called  back. 

Mother  Lee  stood  speechless  and  watched 
them  critically  until  the  door  closed. 

A  cry  of:  "Oh,  Francis,"  suddenly  died 
down  to  sobs,  mingling  with  a  low  coaxing  voice. 
The  sobs  lessened  and  the  coaxing  increased, 
until  Mother  Lee  stepped  forward  and  knocked 
loudly  upon  the  door. 

"Have  you  gone  to  bed,  yet!" 

"No!"  came  the  startled  voice  of  the  girl. 

"Are  you  undressed?" 

"No." 

"Open  the  door!" 

A  few  seconds  of  silence  passed. 

"Come  out  here,  young  lady!  I  want  to 
speak  to  you." 

The  voice  of  Mother  Lee  was  commanding. 
Some  more  silent  moments  passed  during 
which  she  listened  to  an  excited  inaudible 
whispering  within.  At  last  the  door  opened 
and  the  girl,  livid  with  fright,  came  out  and  fell 


90        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

limply  against  the  wall,  confronting  Mother 
Lee. 

"I  jnst  had  a  couple  of  Swedes  come  in  and 
I'm  short  of  beds.  I  want  to  know  if  you  would 
double  up  with  me  to-night  and  let  one  of  the 
Swedes  sleep  with  your  husband?" 

"I'm  sure  he  won't  mind.  We'll  ask  him," 
almost  pushing  Mother  Lee  into  the  room. 

The  young  man  stood  very  near  a  window 
and  as  Mother  Lee  thought,  ready  to  leap 
through  it. 

The  girl  repeated  Mother  Lee 's  request. 

"By  all  means," — breaking  into  a  relieved 
laugh.  "I  thought  the  house  was  being 
raided." 

"There'll  be  no  occasion  for  that," — and  she 
caught  the  girl's  arm,  pushed  her  out  of  the 
room  and  slammed  the  door.  A  little  later  she 
waylaid  one  of  the  Swedes,  and  to  his  bewilder- 
ment, pushed  him  toward  the  big  corner  room 
and  told  him  to  double  up  with  the  young  man. 

The  natural  colour  came  back  into  the  girl's 
face.  She  quickly  undressed  and  crawled  into 
bed  ahead  of  Mother  Lee.  Neither  slept  much 
during  the  night  and  both  were  glad  when  day- 
light came. 

Mother  Lee  arose  a  little  earlier  than  usual 
and  close  beeide  her  stood  the  young  girl,  dress- 
ing. 

It  was  easily  seen  that  she  was  used  to  the 


HER  EAGLE  EYE  91 

kitchen.  She  went  about,  helping  Mother  Lee 
prepare  breakfast. 

A  few  busy  hours  passed  and  the  door  lead- 
ing out  of  the  big  corner  room  finally  opened. 

A  new  pallor  came  into  the  girl's  face.  She 
looked  timidly  at  the  young  man  who  said, 
firmly: 

"Well,  good  morning!  Thought  you'd  come 
and  wake  me  up ! " 

He  took  the  cup  of  coffee,  some  hot  pancakes 
and  went  to  the  dining-room  as  he  had  pre- 
viously done. 

"Would  you  mind  taking  this  bran  to  the 
cow  f ' '  asked  Mother  Lee.  * '  My  back  is  lame. ' ' 

The  girl  expressed  delight  as  she  took  the  pan 
and  went  to  the  corral. 

Mother  Lee  went  straight  to  the  dining-room. 

"Where's  your  marriage  certificate?" 

The  young  man  sprang  back  in  his  seat. 

"She's  got  it!" 

"No,  she  hasn't!  And  that  wedding  ring  of 
your  mother's  is  not  enough.  You're  not  mar- 
ried to  that  girl!" 

"Well,  suppose  I'm  not.  I  will  be  when  I 
reach  the  city." 

"What's  the  matter  with  the  Marshal  doing 
the  job  up  right  now?" 

"No  Marshal  for  me." 

"Well,  this  one  will  or  you'll  go  into  that 
'cooler'!  Now  I  advise  you  to  finish  your 


92        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WOKLD 

breakfast  and  go  right  down  and  fetch  him 
here." 

Jerking  himself  about,  the  young  man  thought 
for  a  second. 

"Hurry  up!  That  train  you're  going  on  is 
nigh  due.'* 

"All  right,  Mother.  Keep  quiet  about  it  and 
I  will." 

"Well,  you  had  better !  You  untrained  horse 
thief!" 

"Hush  up!    I'm  off." 

"Better  take  your  satchel  along  with  you, 
now.  Your  wife 's  will  be  heavy  enough  for  the 
next  trip,  besides  I  want  to  send  some  lunch," 
— speaking  loud  enough  for  the  young  girl  to 
hear. 

He  snatched  up  his  satchel  and  hurried  down 
the  short  cut  to  the  station. 

"Where  is  Francis  going?"  asked  the  girl 
half  frightened  as  she  hastily  entered  with  the 
empty  pan. 

"He's  gone  on  a  very  important  errand," 
— and  Mother  Lee  turned  indifferently  to  her 
work. 

A  while  later  the  girl  looked  eagerly  at  the 
clock : 

"Where  do  you  suppose  Francis  is?"  she 
asked. 

"I  expect  he's  busy." 

"But  the  train  we  are  to  leave  on  is  due!" 

"A  man  seldom  forgets  his  wife." 


HEE  EAGLE  EYE  93 

Something  suddenly  caused  the  girl  to  break 
down  in  tears. 

Mother  Lee  pretended  not  to  notice  it.  She 
pattered  over  the  kitchen  floor,  talking  about  the 
new  family  on  Old  Dave's  land. 

Noon  came,  the  busy  hour.  Lunch  was  over 
and  the  children  had  gone  back  to  school. 
Mother  Lee  again  found  herself  alone  with  the 
young  girl. 

"If  I  wasn't  afraid  I'd  go  to  the  station  and 
see  what  Francis  is  doing." 

"I  would!  No  one  need  know  your  business. 
Just  go  and  reconnoiter  a  bit." 

The  girl  flushed  with  uneasiness,  put  on  her 
hat  and  hurried  toward  the  station. 

Mother  Lee 's  square  jaws  came  together  with 
satisfaction.  Later,  she  watched  the  slender 
form  of  the  girl  returning  slowly  down  the 
avenue  to  the  porch. 

The  girl  was  crying  when  she  entered  the 
kitchen. 

"He's  gone!    Took  the  train  without  me!" 

"Perhaps  he  missed  his  calculation  and  in- 
tends to  send  for  you.  You  had  better  take  off 
that  wedding  ring  and  return  home  until  he 
comes  after  you,  then  you  politely  say  to  that 
feller,  that  if  he  wants  you  for  his  wife  he  must 
have  a  public  ceremony  and  the  right  sort. 
Decatur's  hitching  up.  He  goes  down  your 
way.  Jump  in  with  him  and  go  home.  Here ! 
Fetch  this  fresh  bread  out  to  him." 


94        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

The  girl  reluctantly  obeyed  and  Mother  Lee 
muttered  as  ehe  again  entered  the  kitchen: 

"Such  scoundrels  should  be  tarred  and 
feathered  I" 


CHAPTER 

THE  WITCHERY  OF  THE  FOHBffT 

I  HE  Dales  moved  into  their  new  home 
and  began  their  new  life  in  the  usual 
way.  The  delicate  mother,  more  or 
less  an  invalid,  spent  most  of  her  time 
sun  room  especially  built  for  her  com- 
fort, either  dreaming,  sleeping  or  brooding  over 
the  future  welfare  of  her  daughters. 

Marie  wore  pretty  gowns,  read  books,  or 
played  piano  most  of  the  time,  while  Fern,  who 
seemed  obsessed  with  an  uncontrollable  desire 
for  the  witchery  of  the  forest,  waded  through 
musty  scented,  dead  leaves  day  after  day,  al- 
ways in  search  of  some  new  hidden  nook  of 
unmolested  tanglewood. 

Mr.  Dale,  the  eccentric  Englishman,  spent 
practically  all  of  his  time  far  above  the  heads 
of  his  family  in  his  tower-room,  pouring  out 
his  soul's  ravings  upon  sheets  of  white  paper; 
his  only  exercise  being  his  spasmodic  spells  of 
rushing  down  the  spiral  stair  at  the  completion 
of  some  piece  of  prose  or  poetry.  In  a  high- 
pitched,  excited  voice  he  would  pour  out  his 
literary  gems,  as  he  called  them,  into  the  ears 

95 


96        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

of  his  patient  wife  and  daughter,  Marie.  He 
considered  Fern  too  young  to  understand  his 
deep  thinking.  If  by  chance  his  wife  were 
asleep  or  Marie  were  not  about,  he  would  corner 
the  two  servants  and  bewilder  them  with  his 
uncomprehended  recitals. 

The  summer  passed  into  what  they  considered 
a  beautiful  winter.  For  two  months  they  were 
snowed  in— completely  cut  off  from  outside 
communications.  To  them  it  was  a  novelty. 
Their  cellar  was  well  stocked  and  they  had 
plenty  of  fuel  to  keep  the  big  stone  house  warm. 
Mrs.  Dale  slept  the  greater  part  of  the  stormy 
days,  Marie  continued  her  reading  and  piano 
playing.  She  also  wrote  many  letters  which  she 
piled  up  for  mailing,  the  while  fretting  because 
she  was  unable  to  receive  answers  to  her  pre- 
vious correspondence  which  she  knew  had  been 
piling  up  at  the  town  post-office.  She  never 
would  have  been  satisfied  had  she  not  settled 
her  mind  upon  returning  East  to  marry  the  man 
of  her  choice,  a  law  student  at  one  of  the  uni- 
versities. 

But  Fern,  quite  the  contrary,  was  like  a  caged 
little  animal.  When  not  at  her  studies,  she  was 
first  at  one  window  and  then  at  another,  looking 
out  upon  the  white  world.  She  often  amused 
her  mother  by  pulling  aside  the  lace  curtains 
and  calling  her  attention  to  the  beautiful  draw- 
ings by  Jack  Frost  upon  the  window  panes ;  or 
pointing  out  white,  diamond  glittering  castles 


THE  WITCHERY  OF  THE  FOEEST  97 

and  fairy  lands  among  the  crisp,  snow-covered 
branches  of  the  spruce  trees. 

A  sort  of  dread  passed  over  the  household 
whenever  the  tower-door  squeaked.  It  was  al- 
ways the  forerunner  of  a  siege  of  painful  listen- 
ing to  a  language  far  beyond  comprehension — 
a  language  of  elegance — of  euphony.  The 
moment  the  eccentric  master  entered  everyone 
was  prepared  to  praise  and  sanction  whatever 
he  uttered.  Past  experience  had  taught  them 
to  do  this. 

Spring  was  gradually  approaching.  Fern 
grew  restless  and  longed  to  see  Forrest  who  had 
come  into  her  young  life  like  a  something  she 
had  lost  and  found  and  was  afraid  of  losing 
again.  His  brown  eyes  had  trailed  her  through- 
out the  winter  in  all  her  dreams.  She  had  loved 
to  sit  before  the  open  grate  and  think  of  them. 
They  had  constantly  popped  up  in  her  text-book. 
They  had  held  her  reflectively  at  the  dining 
table.  They  had  been  the  real  cause  of  her 
going  so  often  to  the  window.  She  had  con- 
stantly wondered  if  they  would  come  again  in 
reality  to  console  her. 

The  storms  of  winter  had  passed  and  the 
breath  of  spring  had  thawed  away  the  pretty 
pictures  and  pooled  the  grounds  with  melting 
snow.  At  last  the  pools  had  disappeared  and 
sweet-scented  June  had  set  in,  giving  Fern  free- 
dom and  a  playmate  in  Forrest. 

But  woe  to  the  advance  angel  of  a  year  who 


98        THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

opened  the  eyes  of  the  elders  and  caused  them 
to  close  the  gateway  of  innocent  childhood. 

Fern  was  given  to  understand  by  her  mother 
and  sister  that  there  were  duties  for  her  to  per- 
form and  that  she  was  no  longer  a  child  with 
nothing  at  all  to  do  but  to  roam  the  forest.  She 
must  wear  longer  dresses  and  tie  her  curls  back 
in  a  more  womanly  fashion.  She  must  take  up 
needle-work  and  other  accomplishments  more  in 
keeping  with  a  girl  of  her  age. 

Fern's  future  had  a  gloomy  outlook  until  she 
had  seen  Forrest  and  learned  that  he,  too,  had 
less  time  to  squander  as  he  willed,  for  he  was 
forced  to  put  in  a  full  day  working  at  his  fath- 
er's side. 

Only  now  and  then  had  he  a  chance  to  steal 
through  the  dense  thicket  to  the  opening  to  see 
her,  perhaps  to  meet  her  along  the  trail,  or 
at  the  moss  covered  rock,  their  favourite  tryst- 
ing  place.  Then  it  was  always  at  a  time  when 
Old  Dave  drove  away  with  a  load  of  ties  or  tele- 
graph poles. 

Forrest  with  hungry  eyes  waited  for  his 
father  to  take  these  occasional  trips  and  as  each 
heavy  load  disappeared  down  the  steep  road  to- 
ward the  valley,  he  would  wash  his  hands  and 
face,  wet  and  comb  his  raven  black  hair  straight 
back  until  it  glistened.  He  would  then  take 
from  a  chest  beneath  his  bunk,  a  clean  blue  flan- 
nel shirt  and  a  well  worn  tie.  He  would  hur- 
riedly dress.  With  sleeves  rolled  above  his 


THE  WITCHERY  OF  THE  FOREST  99 

brown  elbows,  chest  exposed  and  bare-headed, 
always,  he  would  bound  like  a  young  tiger  over 
fallen  trees,  through  tangled  underbrush  until  he 
ran  across  Fern,  if  it  took  him  the  whole  of  the 
way  to  the  clearing  on  her  father's  ground. 

11  Maybe  you'd  like  to  see  the  new  tree  I've 
found,"  or  "Maybe  this  and  maybe  that,"  or 
whatever  came  into  his  mind,  Forrest  would 
give  as  an  excuse  for  his  coming. 

At  first  Marie  went  along  with  Forrest  and 
Fern  much  to  her  own  dislike  and  discomfort, 
but  her  main  object  was  to  ascertain  if  the  pure 
childlike  innocence  still  existed  in  their  young 
minds.  After  accompanying  them  on  two  or 
three  occasions,  Marie  was  satisfied  that  her 
little  sister  was  absolutely  safe  with  the  big, 
good-natured  brown  boy,  whose  whole  mind  was 
upon  the  different  species  of  trees  and  their 
usages. 

Forrest  was  never  free  from  the  influence  of 
Mother  Lee — the  spell  of  her  early  training. 
Her  words  always  guided  him. 

"There's  a  time  for  work.  There's  a  time 
for  play.  There's  a  time  for  sleep.  Never 
allow  one  to  crowd  the  other.  Give  each  their 
allotted  space." 

So  when  Forrest  cut  trees,  he  allowed  nothing 
but  the  thought  of  trees  to  enter  his  mind.  And 
when  it  was  time  for  sleep  he  forced  himself 
to  sleep.  And  when  the  hour  came  for  pleasure, 
for  relaxation,  he  liberated  himself.  But  al- 


100       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

ways  at  the  very  summit  of  his  pleasure-moun- 
tain, Fern  was  there  beckoning  him  to  climb  to 
her  play  ground. 

Once  he  said  to  her  with  a  boy's  enthusiasm: 

"I  hope  that  only  the  big  storms  of  winter 
separate  us." 

"What  else  could?"  she  asked. 

"Death  is  about  the  only  thing  I  can  think 
of  right  now." 

"Mercy,  don't  talk  of  such  evil  things." 

"Death  is  not  evil." 

"Anything  is  that  would  separate  us." 

* '  Then  we  're  united  until  death  do  us  part, ' ' 
said  Forrest,  quoting  Mother  Lee. 

"That's  it,  and  I'm  sure  he  will  never  find 
us  in  this  pretty  forest  to  separate  us." 

"Of  course  not.  The  good  God-farmer  is  too 
anxious  to  see  the  scattered  halves  of  his  human 
seeds  find  each  other." 

"Human  seeds?    What  do  you  mean?" 

"The  kind  the  God-farmer  sprinkles  upon 
this  earth  from  his  Golden  pan.  You  and  me 
and  everybody." 

"Oh!" 

"Listen!" — and  Forrest  went  into  the  min- 
utest detail  of  Mother  Lee's  version  of  human 
seeds  and  the  divided  halves  scattered  upon  the 
earth. 

"So  then,  we  count  for  just  one  seed." 

"Yes,  that's  it." 


THE  WITCHERY  OF  THE  FOREST  101 

"And  now  that  we  have  found  each  other, 
what  are  we  going  to  do?"  asked  Fern. 
"Just  wait,  grow  up  and  get  married." 
"I'm  grown  now,  so  Marie  tells  me." 
* '  So  am  I.    I  think  next  year  we  can  talk  more 
about  it.    But  this  year  I  must  still  think  of 
trees;  and  you,  of  your  needle-work," — and 
Forrest  persistently  changed  the  subject  much 
to  Fern's  disappointment.    But  he  was  her  mas- 
ter and  she  had  to  obey. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

FROM   THE   SANDHILLS 

OFTEN,  very  often  when  evening 
shadows  had  covered  up  another 
day,  Mother  Lee  would  step  out  on 
the  back  porch  after  her  work  was 
finished  and  let  her  tired  eyes  rest  upon  the 
steep,  rugged  road  which  led  up  among  the  great 
world  of  trees.  At  that  hour  she  felt  a  slight 
pang  of  reproach  against  the  dark  forest  which 
had  so  graciously  given  and  so  ruthlessly  taken 
from  her  one  of  the  dearest  rays  of  sunshine  in 
her  life.  She  knew  that  the  real  boy  spirit  of 
Forrest  had  come  and  gone  forever. 

A  realisation  came  to  her  during  one  of  her 
spells  of  loneliness,  however,  when  a  small  boy 
came  up  to  her  sobbing.  Mother  Lee,  after 
some  questioning  learned  that  the  boy  had  lost 
one  of  his  favourite  rabbits. 

"Hush  up!  Nothing  upon  this  earth  was 
ever  made  for  us  to  always  keep.  Nothing 
solely  belongs  to  us.  It  is  only  ours  while  we 
have  the  power  to  hold  it  in  our  possession. 
God  just  loaned  them  to  us  for  a  little  while. 
There  is  never  a  thing  taken  out  of  our  lives 
that  we  cannot  replace  with  something  else,  if 

102 


FROM  THE  SANDHILLS  103 

we  learn  to  appreciate  through  memory  the 
good  and  the  joy  we  have  had  out  of  the  thing 
we  have  lost.  You  have  had  lots  of  good  times 
with  that  little  rabbit.  Now  it's  gone.  So  you 
must  find  another,  or  something  else  to  take  its 
place.  God's  will  must  be  done.  What  hap- 
pened to  the  rabbit?" 

"It  dug  out  and  Brunell's  dog  eat  it  up!" 
"  Well,  that's  the  dog's  way  of  doing  things." 
"But  dogs  have  no  right  to  eat  rabbits." 
"We  haven't  either,  but  we  do." 
"But  we  cook  *em." 

"That's  no  credit  to  us.  We  take  the  rab- 
bit's life  just  the  same.  It's  only  a  little  more 
civilisation  on  our  part,  that's  all.  As  long  as 
we  kill  and  eat  rabbits  why  should  we  find  fault 
with  a  dog?  Now  go  and  get  fifteen  cents '  worth 
of  beefsteak  for  breakfast  and  tell  Honus  to 
throw  in  a  calf's  liver.  Who's  that  coming 
down  the  road?" 

"Bob  Saunders,"  answered  the  boy. 
"Wonder  what  ails  Bob?    This  is  an  unusual 
hour  for  him."    Mother  Lee  turned  and  en- 
tered the  kitchen  and  put  a  piece  of  wood  in  the 
stove. 

"Hello,  Mother!  Don't  fix  me  anything  to 
eat." 

"What  ails  you?" 

* '  Sick  of  living !    I  've  nothing  to  live  for. ' ' 
' '  Shut  up  your  trap !    A  healthy  young  man 
with  the  luck  you've  had  in  the  last  five  years ! 


104       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

Everything  on  your  ranch  paid  for.  All 
stocked  up  and  every  inch  of  your  eighty  acres 
under  cultivation.  What  in  the  name  of  com- 
mon sense  do  you  want  ? ' ' 

"God  knows!" — and  the  young  man  dropped 
wearily  into  a  chair. 

Mother  Lee  stood  looking  at  him.  He  was, 
in  her  eyes,  an  ideal  man.  His  shoulders  were 
broad.  He  had  a  well  developed  chest.  His 
face  still  held  the  softness  of  youth,  despite  its 
week's  growth  of  beard.  He  was  carelessly 
groomed,  a  button  off  here  and  there.  And 
there  were  numerous  barbed  wire  snags  visible 
in  his  clothing.  His  hands  were  large  but  well 
shaped  and  in  general  lines  expressed  gentle- 
ness. 

"You  want  a  woman — a  wife.  That's  what 
you  want." 

The  young  man  nearly  jumped  out  of  his 
chair. 

"Nothing  to  be  ashamed  of.  What  have  you 
been  working  these  five  years  for,  cultivating 
that  ranch?  Surely  not  for  yourself  alone." 

After  an  awkward  period  Mother  Lee  turned 
abruptly  upon  him. 

"Why  don't  you  get  married?" 

"Good  reason  why.  Don't  know  any 
woman." 

"Well,  why  don't  you  get  acquainted?" 

"Don't  know  how.  It's  a  cinch  you  can't  go 
out  and  buy  them  like  cattle." 


FROM  THE  SANDHILLS  105 

"If  you  didn't  hoard  yourself  away  on  that 
ranch  so  much  you'd  get  lots  of  'em." 

" Could  you  get  me  a  woman,  Mother?" 

'  *  I  ?  Well,  I  '11  be  switched !  A  good  looking 
feller  like  you!  Stick  around  town  and  go  to 
that  Oprey  House  dance  and  you'll  have  all  you 
want  to  select  from." 

Bob  Saunders  thought  for  a  moment,  then 
shook  his  head. 

"No  use.  I  haven't  the  nerve.  Don't  know 
how  to  dance,  neither." 

Mother  Lee's  attention  was  drawn  to  some- 
thing else,  and  Bob  Saunders  slipped  her  mind 
until  the  next  day.  With  a  little  twinkle  in  her 
eye  she  said: 

"  Heard  you  were  hanging  around  the  Oprey 
House  last  night ! ' ' 

Bob  became  painfully  embarrassed. 

"Well,  didn't  you  teil  me  to?"  said  he. 

* '  No.  I  told  you  to  mix  in.  It  matters  little, 
being  you  didn't  fix  up.  If  you  want  to  catch 
a  woman's  eye  you  want  to  spruce  up  more  than 
you  do, ' ' — then  after  a  pause :  * '  Come  to  think 
of  it,  I  have  the  woman  for  you." 

"Who?    Where?" 

1 '  Down  among  the  sand-hills,  with  her  folks. 
And  she's  as  anxious  to  get  married  as  you  are. 
I'll  have  her  come  here  and  visit.  She's  used 
to  a  ranch  and  knows  how  to  do  housework. 
You'd  make  an  ideal  couple." 

Bob  Saunders  mopped  his  brow  and  settled 


106      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

down  in  a  more  comfortable,  listening  attitude, 
with  his  strong  eyes  restlessly  following  Mother 
Lee  about  the  kitchen. 

Suddenly  she  stopped  speaking  and  looked 
out  the  window. 

''It's  about  time  for  Bardoff  to  pass.  Here ! 
One  of  you  children  go  out  and  watch  for  him. ' ' 

"What  for?"  asked  Bob,  slightly  suspicious 
of  her  intentions. 

"I'll  have  him  go  fetch  Idy  Hutchins  in  to- 
morrow." 

With  a  bound,  Bob  made  a  rush  for  the  door 
and  did  not  stop  until  he  reached  the  barn. 

But  Mother  Lee  paid  no  attention  to  him. 
When  Bardoff  stopped  she  went  out  to  the 
wagon  with  a  loaf  of  hot  bread  and  gave  him 
instructions,  knowing  that  he  would  go  and  get 
the  young  woman,  rain  or  shine. 

Bob  Saunders,  although  he  kept  well  out  of 
Mother  Lee's  sight,  patiently  waited  for  Bar- 
doff 's  return  the  next  day.  From  the  barn  loft 
window  he  watched  a  young  woman  climb  from 
the  wagon  and  hurry  into  Cottage  Home. 

"Haven't  felt  well  these  past  few  days," 
greeted  Mother  Lee.  "Thought  you  wouldn't 
mind  staying  in  town  a  few  days." 

"I'm  awfully  glad  you  sent  for  me.  I'm  so 
lonesome  down  there.  I  want  someone  to  talk 
to.  Mother  is  so  peculiar  in  some  things." 

"That's  a  mistake  in  most  mothers.  The 
majority  of  girls  that  go  wrong  have  their 


FROM  THE  SANDHILLS  107 

mothers  to  blame  for  their  lack  of  teaching. 
They  are  forbidden  company  at  home.  Con- 
sequently, girls  steal  out  and  meet  fellers. 
They  go  alone  and  under  cover  because  they  are 
afraid  of  their  mothers.*' 

"What  you  say  is  true,  Mother  Lee.  That's 
why  I  acted  the  way  I  did  with  Francis. 
Mother  always  refused  me  company,  and  my 
loneliness  made  me  take  up  with  him." 

"That  scoundrel  had  bad  intentions,  Idy. 
What  you  want  is  a  nice  feller  in  your  own 
class.  Some  nice  young  man  with  a  good  ranch, 
well  stocked.  There 's  a  lot  of  nice  ranchers  up 
north  of  here  with  good  rigs,  where  you  could 
get  into  civilisation  now  and  then.  There's  a 
fine  young  man  here,  now — just  come  in — who 
is  crazy  to  get  married.  He 's  everything  a  girl 
could  wish  for.  What's  nicer  than  a  good  hus- 
band and  your  own  home?" 

The  girl's  cheeks  reddened  and  Mother  Lee 
had  only  to  glance  at  her  to  know  what  was 
going  through  her  mind. 

"You  set  your  cap  for  him  and  you'll  never 
be  lonesome  or  have  to  go  back  to  the  sand- 
hills." 

The  girl  had  removed  her  travelling  dress 
and  donned  a  calico  one  in  its  stead,  while  she 
still  listened  to  Mother  Lee : 

"You  peel  them  taters  and  at  noon  you  size 
him  up.  See  if  what  I  say  isn't  about  right." 


CHAPTER  XV 

HEABTS  CORRALLED 

NOTHING  was  more  interesting  to 
Mother  Lee  than  the  marrying  of  a 
young  couple.  When  Bob  Saunders 
entered  Cottage  Home  for  dinner  he 
looked  as  "clean  as  a  whistle "  as  Mother  Lee 
termed  it  in  her  mind.  His  face  was  shaven, 
his  hair  cut,  and  his  boots  glistened. 

Ida,  following  Mother  Lee's  instruction, 
handed  Bob  his  steaming  plate  and  cup  of 
coffee. 

"He's  good  looking,  isn't  he?"  whispered 
Ida. 

"He's  handsome,  inside  and  out." 

"Does  he  really  want  to  get  married?" 

"He  does,  but  he's  bashful  and  it's  up  to  you 
to  prod  him  up." 

"What  can  I  do?" 

"Just  act  as  if  you  had  always  known  him 
and  call  him  by  his  first  name." 

Ida  kept  glancing  toward  the  dining-room 
door. 

Mother  Lee  smiled  as  she,  through  the  corner 
of  her  eye,  saw  an  exchange  of  glances. 

108 


HEAETS  CORRALLED  109 

Bob  Saunders  was  nearing  the  door  and  Ida 
was  still  looking  at  him  when  Mother  Lee  called 
out: 

"Say,  Bob,  what  are  you  going  to  do  to- 
night?" 

"  Nothing. " 

"Would  you  mind  driving  out  to  Decatur's 
ranch  for  me?" 

"What  for ? "  a  disappointed  tone  in  his  voice. 

"I  want  to  send  out  some  clean  clothes.  You 
can  hitch  Babe  to  the  buck-board." 

"Won't  to-morrow  do?" 

"No,  to-night." 

"All  right,"  his  voice  being  drowned  by  the 
slamming  of  the  screen  door. 

Mother  Lee  continued  her  work.  The  matter 
did  not  come  up  again  until  after  supper.  It 
was  nearly  dark  and  Bob  had  been  more  than 
once  at  the  kitchen  door  where,  each  time,  he 
came  face  to  face  with  Ida  who  tried  to  engage 
him  in  bits  of  conversation. 

"Have  you  hitched  up  Babe  yet?"  called  out 
Mother  Lee. 

"Been  hitched  for  an  hour." 

"Well,  here  then!    Take  this  bundle  along." 

Bob  accepted  the  bundle  indifferently. 

"Better  slip  on  your  hat  and  ride  out  with 
him,  Idy.  It's  a  beautiful  night  and  it  won't 
do  you  any  harm." 

The  bundle  shot  from  Bob's  hand.  The  sur- 
prise overwhelmed  him.  He  hurried  to  the 


110       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

stable,  and  a  few  moments  later  drove  up  with 
the  irritable  grey  mare. 

"Now,  Babe,  keep  your  feet  when  you  come 
to  the  Big  Thompson." 

"She'll  do  that  all  right,"  spoke  up  Bob  in 
a  cheerful  tone  as  he  took  the  bundle  from  Ida 
and  stepped  aside  for  her  to  climb  into  the  rig 
alone. 

"We'll  take  good  care  of  Babe,"  called  back 
Bob. 

"See  that  you  do  and  don't  linger  at  the 
ranch!" 

Mother  Lee  stood  on  the  porch  and  smiled  to 
herself  as  she  watched  them  drive  away. 

"Another  good  job  started,"  she  muttered. 

Her  eyes  then  raised  to  the  inky  forest  and 
she  remained  motionless  until  the  calls  of  the 
impatient  children  brought  her  back  into  the 
kitchen. 

"Tell  us  a  story." 

* '  That 's  exactly  what  I  intend  to  do.  I  'm  go- 
ing to  tell  you  about  Dread, ' '  and  she  took  a  seat 
beside  the  window. 

"Dread  is  a  great  big  monster  with  a  thou- 
sand legs.  He  is  always  behind  you  and  fol- 
lows you  wherever  you  go.  You  cannot  run 
away  from  him,  dodge  nor  escape  him.  When 
once  he  gets  the  upper  hand  he  can  do  so  much 
damage  to  you.  When  he  gets  those  thousand 
legs  wound  about  you,  you  get  indigestion  right 
away,  and  the  little  master,  'I,'  within  your 


HEARTS  CORRALLED  111 

brain  becomes  so  tired  that  he  is  ready  to  lie 
down  and  die.  What  a  shame  that  you  let  such 
a  creature  destroy  your  young  lives  when  you 
have  dominion  over  all  things;  the  power  to 
avoid  this  monster  altogether.  How?  The 
simplest  way  in  the  world.  Dread  begins  to 
follow  you  as  soon  as  you  are  born  and  many 
people  have  gone  through  life  without  recognis- 
ing him.  But  the  time  has  come  when  he  must 
be  obliterated  from  your  lives,  and  the  only 
sure  cure  is :  the  moment  you  have  a  task  to  per- 
form, go  at  once  and  do  it.  In  that  way  you 
can  overpower  this  hideous  monster.  If  you 
have  a  duty  to  perform,  don't  hesitate!  Get  it 
over  with  as  soon  as  possible. 

"It  is  not  for  you  to  shiver  and  tremble,  but 
learn  to  get  a  strong,  firm  grasp  on  yourself  and 
face  any  duty  like  a  soldier  of  God.  You  must 
always  have  your  storm  coats  ready,  to  face  any 
kind  of  weather  as  you  walk  forth  into  the  blind 
future,  and  never  put  off  for  a  second  anything 
you  have  to  do.  Come!  Brace  up  and  use 
your  sabres  and  fight.  Don't  let  Dread  get  a 
hold  on  you.  Don't  try  to  crawl  out  of  your 
share  of  work  but  pitch  right  in  and  before  you 
know  it,  the  time  will  come  when  Dread  will 
grow  weary  of  following  you  and  will  die  by  the 
wayside." 

Mother  Lee  stirred  a  little  from  her  cramped 
position  beneath  the  weight  of  several  leaning 
children  and  in  a  changed  tone  of  voice  ordered 


112       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

them  to  bed.  As  they  left  her  side,  one  by  one, 
she  called  out : 

"To-morrow,  let  one  and  all  of  you  start  a 
new  day  by  fighting  off  this  big  monster, 
Dread." 

An  hour  later  found  Mother  Lee  still  in  her 
chair,  patiently  watching  for  the  return  of  the 
two  she  had  brought  together  and  had  so 
adroitly  sent  on  the  night  errand. 

She  quickly  arose  at  the  first  sound  of  their 
return  and  went  out  and  stood  on  the  porch  as 
they  entered  the  drive-way. 

The  clear  young  voices  coming  in  advance 
through  the  night  air  sent  their  message  of  hap- 
piness to  her.  She  returned  to  the  kitchen  sat- 
isfied that  another  of  God's  matches  had  been 
perfected. 

The  next  morning  Mother  Lee  sent  Ida  up- 
stairs on  an  errand  and  kept  Bob  in  the  kitchen 
just  long  enough  to  ask : 

"Well,  what  are  the  prospects?" 

Bob  grew  nervous  and  shoved  his  hands  into 
his  hip  pockets. 

"I'm  satisfied.    Is  she!"  he  answered. 

"Don't  you  think  that's  for  you  to  find  out?" 

1  *  You  do  it,  Mother.  You  have  the  faculty  of 
bringing  deals  to  a  close.  It  will  take  me 
six  months,  and  I'm  satisfied  to  hook  up  at 
once." 

"My!"  called  Mother  Lee.    "Idy!" 

"Yes,  ma'am." 


HEARTS  CORRALLED  113 

"Come    down    stairs!    Here!    Come    back, 
Bob!" 
Bob  Saunders  was  hurrying  out  of  the  door. 

*  '  One  would  think  you  were  going  to  be  mur- 
dered." 

Bob  re-entered  the  kitchen  just  as  Ida  made 
her  appearance. 

*  *  I  feel  a  little  weak,  Idy.    Come  and  mix  this 
bread  for  me." 

Ida  obeyed  and  Mother  Lee  sat  down  and  be- 
gan looking  over  some  mending. 

"Why  should  people  fear  marriage!  It's 
the  most  common  occurrence  we  have  on  earth. 
Where  the  greatest  trouble  lies  is  in  too  much 
calculation.  Impulse  comes  with  the  first  meet- 
ing of  two  people  and  if  that  impulse  is  natural 
and  favourable  it  will  never  change  in  a  thou- 
sand years.  Why  put  off,  and  add  on  worry? 
Courtship  is  all  right  for  the  rich  who  place  no 
value  on  time,  but  we  poor  people  must  plan 
differently.  Marriage,  at  every  angle,  is  a  lot- 
tery. Man  was  created  for  woman,  and  woman 
for  man.  Why  blush  and  try  to  hide  your  feel- 
ings ?  If  God  ever  mated  two  people,  he  mated 
you  two.  It  was  His  will  that  you  should  meet 
and  it  is  His  will  that  you  unite  and  spend  the 
rest  of  your  lives  together.  Idy,  here,  is  a  good 
housekeeper  and  you,  Bob,  are  a  good  pro- 
vider." 

Ida's  face  had  grown  red,  apparently  from 
her  exertion  and  her  listening  at  the  same  time, 


114       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

while  Bob,  still  bashful,  looked  earnestly  toward 
the  girl. 

"You  are  both  young  and  healthy  and  can  do 
much  for  your  country.  Good  people  and  good 
children  are  always  needed  in  God's  world. 
Divide  that  dough  into  seven  loaves.  What 
kind  of  a  house  have  you,  Bob?" 

"It  ain't  good  enough  for  a  woman  to  live 
in,"  nervously  pulling  at  the  linen  collar  about 
his  neck. 

"Has  it  a  good  roof?" 

"Oh,  yes!" 

"Well,  it's  eight  months  until  the  real  cold 
weather  sets  in.  Couldn  't  you  and  Idy  put  your 
heads  together  and  have  a  house  put  up  to  your 
mutual  liking?" 

"Sure!    If  she's  willing." 

"Oh,  Mother  Lee!  You  talk  so  plain,"  and 
Ida  attempted  to  hide  her  face  from  Bob. 

"How  else  should  I  talk?  God's  bargains 
should  be  talked  plainly,  and  you  and  Bob  are 
God's  children  the  same  as  the  rest  of  us." 

"How  shall  I  let  my  people  know?" 

"Decatur  '11  be  here  in  the  morning." 

"Oh,  I  don't  want  to  go  home!"  protested 
Ida. 

"Well  then,  send  word  to  your  folks,"  and 
Mother  Lee  arose  and  began  putting  the  pans  of 
dough  on  the  back  of  the  stove.  "Go  wash 
your  hands,  and  while  the  coast  is  clear  you  can 
write  your  note." 


HEARTS  CORRALLED  115 

Ida  quickly  obeyed  and  clearing  away  one 
side  of  the  bench-like  table,  she  took  ink  and 
paper  and  began.  Looking  suddenly  up,  her 
eyes  met  Bob's.  Her  face  grew  scarlet. 

Bob  turned  suddenly  and  looked  out  of  the 
door. 

"Oh,  I  can't  think  what  to  say!"  shyly  com- 
plained Ida. 

"Go  help  her,  Bob!  Don't  stand  there  like  a 
ninny-hammer ! ' ' 

Bob  tossed  his  hat  into  a  corner  and  went 
quickly  to  Ida 's  aid  and  sat  down  beside  her  on 
the  chair  which  she  willingly  shared  with 
him. 

Mother  Lee  pretended  that  she  did  not  see 
them  as  she  went  about  her  work,  but  her  heart 
beat  with  secret  joy  as  she  witnessed  the  pret- 
tiest and  purest  of  love  scenes.  Now  and  then 
she  caught  a  drift  of  their  joint  letter. 

"How  do  you  spell  your  name,  Bob?" 

1 '  B-o-b    S-a-u-n-d-e-r-s. ' ' 

A  few  seconds  of  silence  followed. 

"How  do  you  spell  love?" 

"Golly,  I've  never  spelled  it  before.  Put  it 
down — L— u — v — I  guess  that's  clear  enough." 

"L-o-v-e,"  spelled  Mother  Lee. 

"Love!"  they  both  repeated  as  they  looked 
into  each  other 's  eyes. 

Mother  Lee  watched  the  true  meaning  of  the 
word  sink  slowly  into  their  young  hearts. 

Ida  was  the  first  to  let  her  eyes  turn  away. 


116       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

"You  ain't  going  to  cry,  are  you?"  earnestly 
asked  Bob. 

"No.    We  must  finish  our  letter." 

For  the  next  few  moments  Ida  slowly  worked 
her  pen  over  the  half  blank  page,  then  she  whis- 
pered : 

' '  How  do  you  spell  husband ! ' ' 

"H — u — s — b — e — n,"  answered  Bob,  proudly 
in  an  undertone. 

After  another  brief  silence  they  turned  to- 
ward Mother  Lee. 

"The  letter's  finished.  Now  what  must  we 
do?" 

"Bob  must  go  and  see  the  marshal." 

"What  for?" 

"The  license,  of  course." 

"Oh — "  and  again  Bob's  nerves  got  the  bet- 
ter of  him. 

"What  ails  you  I  It's  the  same  as  paying 
your  taxes  only  you  ask  for  a  marriage  license 
instead." 

*  *  We  'd  better  wait  till  after  dinner, ' ? — quickly 
added  Bob. 

"Go  at  once  and  don't  backwater!  This  is  a 
joint  affair  and  nobody's  business.  After  you 
have  seen  the  marshal,  hunt  up  the  Baptist 
Minister.  Better  go  along  with  him,  Idy.  He 's 
liable  to  get  things  all  balled  up." 

Ida,  in  a  business  sort  of  fashion,  went  and 
changed  her  dress  and  soon  returned. 

"Come  on,  Bob!    We  won't  blunder." 


HEARTS  CORRALLED  117 

Something  in  Ida's  cheerful,  confident  laugh 
changed  the  whole  aspect  of  the  affair  and  Bob 
grew  brave.  He  even  grew  so  brave  as  to  catch 
her  hand  and  hurry  her  along  the  red-brick 
walk. 

A  smile  of  extreme  contentment  crossed 
Mother  Lee 's  wrinkled  face  and  her  eyes  lit  up 
with  an  expression  of  joy  for  she  knew  that  only 
good  could  come  from  such  a  marriage.  She 
turned  her  attention  back  to  the  kitchen,  but  in 
spite  of  her  well  controlled  matter-of-fact  man- 
ner, she  more  than  once  caught  herself  peering 
down  the  red-brick  walk.  At  last  she  was  satis- 
fied. She  greeted  them  on  their  return. 

"How'd  you  make  out?" 

"He  misunderstood,  and  married  us  right 
up." 

* '  So  much  the  better.  Now,  Idy,  pitch  in  and 
help  me  with  the  dinner  and  Bob,  you  go  kill  a 
couple  of  chickens  and  we  '11  have  the  wedding 
feast  and  the  regular  dinner  the  same  time." 

At  sundown,  Mother  Lee  called  Bob  Saund- 
ers  to  one  side  and  asked  him  if  he  had  plenty  of 
everything  on  the  ranch. 

Bob  wasn't  sure. 

"Idy!"  suddenly  called  out  Mother  Lee,  "I 
think  you  and  Bob  had  better  get  ready  and 
drive  out  to  the  ranch  and  look  things  over.  A 
woman  will  know  what's  needed  better  than  a 
man.  Start  right  in  and  get  your  heads  to- 
gether and  fix  up  for  the  winter. ' ' 


118      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

Before  she  had  finished  speaking,  Ida  had 
started  for  the  adjoining  room  to  change  her 
dress  and  Bob  had  his  hand  upon  the  latch. 

A  half  hour  later  Mother  Lee  went  out  to  see 
them  off. 

' '  Here,  take  this  beefsteak,  this  bread  and  this 
pot  of  beans,  and  I  think  you  'd  better  take  this 
extra  blanket.  When  you  get  out  a  ways,  wrap 
it  about  your  shoulders,  Idy!  It's  kinda  chilly, 
out." 

"Good  night,  Mother  Lee,"  they  called  out 
from  far  down  the  road. 

"Come  back  in  a  day  or  two." 

"We  will." 

As  the  last  sound  of  the  wagon  wheels  died 
away  in  the  silence  of  night,  Mother  Lee  still 
stood  in  the  middle  of  the  brick  driveway.  She 
experienced  a  strange  shiver  as  she,  for  the  first 
time,  realised  the  swiftness  of  the  meeting  and 
marriage  of  the  two  young  people. 

"Why  not?"  she  murmured.  "A  girl's  life 
is  a  lottery  anyway  you  put  it.  A  hurried  up 
marriage  is  a  thousand  times  better  than  a  run- 
away match  at  any  rate." 

With  a  perfectly  contented  mind,  Mother  Lee 
looked  at  the  heavens  which  flashed  a  million 
clear  stars.  She  then  let  her  eyes  lower  to  the 
dark  outline  of  the  forest.  A  dozen  faces,  the 
ones  in  which  she  had  the  greatest  personal  in- 
terest, floated  across  her  vision.  She  hesitated 
just  long  enough  to  wonder  how  they  were  all 


HEARTS  CORRALLED  119 

faring  when  her  attention  was  suddenly  drawn 
to  a  number  of  anxious  children  looking  up  at 
her. 

" Where  have  they  gone,  Mother  Lee?" 
"Out  to  Bob's  ranch  to  build  up  a  home  where 
they  can  take  good  care  of  all  the  little  human 
seeds  the  good  God-farmer  allots  them." 

She  turned  abruptly  and  was  followed  into  the 
kitchen  by  a  happy  little  flock — her  "fledge- 
lings." 


CHAPTER  XVI 

CHOKECHERRYING 

ON  a  lofty  shelf  of  black  rock,  Forrest 
stood  a  tall,  straight  figure,  clad  in 
brown  corduroy,  with  face  and  arms 
equally  as  brown.  He  looked  down 
into  a  sea  of  mist.  The  dark  forms  of  the  cling- 
ing boulders  which  nature  had  chiselled  into 
mysterious  shapes  grew  fainter  and  fainter  un- 
til he  could  see  them  no  longer.  Far  below 
from  beneath  the  vapour  slowly  ascended  a  ball 
of  fire.  As  it  crept  higher  and  higher  it  looked 
to  Forrest  like  a  mighty  opal.  Wavering  in 
its  ascent,  it  dipped  and  redipped  beneath  the 
misty  surface  until  its  fiery  brim  slashed 
through,  and  when  the  gaping  wound  closed  in, 
it  seemed  to  him  as  if  the  sun  were  afloat  on  a 
sea  of  blood.  For  a  few  seconds  only,  it  rested 
its  active  body.  Then  as  if  by  sudden  impulse 
it  sprang  into  the  clear  blue  sky,  leaving  behind 
reflections  which  drove  away  the  remaining 
mist,  and  unsealed  a  world  of  green,  velvety 
valleys  and  the  purple  peaks  beyond. 

Although  a  sunrise  in  the  mountains  always 
left  a  strong  impression  upon  Forrest's  mind, 

120 


CHOKECHEKRYING  121 

there  was  still  a  deeper  feeling  of  joy  tingling 
through  his  young  veins. 

He  was  to  meet  Fern.  While  he  waited  on 
the  ledge  of  rock,  Fern  drowsily  aroused  her- 
self with  a  feeling  of  dread  in  raising  her  eyes 
toward  the  east  lest  she  should  see  too  soon  what 
the  day  had  in  store  for  her.  Suspense  at  last 
caught  up  her  gaze  and  carried  it  unwillingly 
to  the  sky.  The  greeting  there  was  like  a  magic 
touch.  It  brought  her  hastily  from  her  bed. 
Her  eyes  lingered  a  moment  to  catch  the  effect. 
A  path  paved  with  pure,  white  clouds,  dappled 
with  rosy-red,  was  over-hung  by  a  canopy  of  the 
bluest  sky.  The  dark  green  trees  on  either  side 
of  the  gorge  leading  down  into  the  valley,  were 
like  great  black  figures  pushed  aside  by  the 
glare  of  the  approaching  light  which  flooded  the 
imprisoned  space  that  distance  had  narrowed  to 
a  funnel-shape.  Slowly  it  came  like  an  advance 
guard,  flourishing  its  rays  in  warning  gestures 
to  announce  the  coming  of  the  sun,  the  world's 
royal  and  most  welcome  guest. 

It  filled  her  with  enthusiasm  for  the  day  would 
be  fair  and  bright.  She  thought  only  of  the 
programme  which  Forrest  and  she  had  planned. 
Chokecherry  season  had  begun  and  it  was  their 
intention  to  get  an  early  start.  So  she  hur- 
riedly dressed  and  went  to  the  breakfast  table 
where  she  divided  her  time  between  eating  and 
preparing  a  lunch.  She  finished  both  on  her 
way  to  her  mother's  room. 


122      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

She  was  about  to  enter  when  she  overheard 
her  sister  say: 

"Fern  must  not  go  chokecherrying  to- 
day. " 

She  waited  to  hear  no  more  but  rushed  to  her 
own  room. 

"Come!  Come,  Miss  Fern!  The  sun  is 
high!" 

She  sprang  to  the  window  and  waved  her 
hand  in  frightened  gestures  to  silence  the  re- 
peating of  the  words,  but  the  thick  foliage  pre- 
vented Forrest  seeing  her,  and  he  continued  to 
call  even  louder  than  before.  Fern  grew  fran- 
tic in  her  excitement,  so  eager  was  she  to  let  him 
know  that  something  had  gone  wrong  within  the 
home,  and  seizing  the  first  object  her  hands  fell 
upon,  a  flower  pot,  she  hurled  it  through  the 
open  window.  She  watched  it  go  tearing  down 
among  the  branches  of  the  trees  until  she  heard 
it  strike.  A  tin  pail  went  rattling  along  the 
gravel  walk.  Half  fearful  of  what  she  had 
done,  she  rushed  from  her  room  down  the  stairs 
and  out  of  the  house  into  the  grounds.  She  saw 
Forrest  leaning  against  a  tree,  with  a  handker- 
chief to  his  forehead.  She  stood  motionless  as 
he  came  toward  her. 

"I'm  sorry,  Miss  Fern,  I  called  you." 

"Then  you  know  why  I  threw  the  jar?"  she 
asked. 

"Yes!  You  meant  to  warn  me.  What  was 
the  matter?" 


CHOKECHEEEYING  123 

"Let's  hurry  away.  Sister  doesn't  want  me 
to  go  chokecherrying. ' ' 

Fern  was  frightened  for  Forrest  could  not 
check  the  blood  that  ran  down  his  cheek  and 
stained  his  shirt. 

He  tried  to  console  her  by  saying: 

"Scratches  bleed  more  than  deep  cuts. 
Water  will  stop  it,"  and  they  started  off  to  the 
spring. 

Fern  sank  upon  the  trunk  of  a  fallen  tree  and 
watched  Forrest  bathe  the  wound  until  it 
stopped  bleeding. 

Forrest  then  took  up  the  lunch  basket  and 
they  started  down  into  a  mountain  valley.  They 
waded  through  patches  of  wild  flowers  which 
permeated  the  air  with  perfume,  and  they 
groped  their  way  beneath  restless  quaken-asps 
until  they  reached  the  creek.  They  sank  upon 
its  grassy  bank.  While  they  ate  their  lunch 
they  wove  a  basket  from  the  tender  shoots  of 
the  weeping  willows.  When  it  was  finished  they 
crossed  on  a  fallen  tree  to  the  opposite  side  of 
the  creek  where  the  boughs  of  the  chokecherry 
trees  were  touching  the  ground  from  the  weight 
of  the  ripened  fruit.  While  they  heaped  their 
baskets  they  ate  and  ate,  until  their  lips  and 
throats  were  puckered. 

They  laughed  and  chatted  as  the  moments 
went  galloping  by.  Forrest  unconsciously 
caught  the  hour  of  the  day  by  the  sun.  They 
were  startled.  He  grabbed  up  the  baskets 


124      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WOKLD 

and  they  started  back  by  way  of  a  cattle  trail, 
and  as  they  hurried  along  a  shadow  of  melan- 
choly stole  gradually  over  them.  It  was  a  sen- 
sation that  neither  understood.  They  just 
looked  sad  and  hurried  along  and  watched  the 
sun  grow  larger  as  it  sank  lower  and  lower,  un- 
til it  reached  the  purple  peaks  in  the  distance, 
where  it  seemed  to  rest  long  enough  to  lift  a 
mighty  shield,  studded  with  glittering  jewels  of 
various  shades,  to  protect  itself  from  the  per- 
sistent darkness.  All  at  once  it  disappeared, 
leaving  behind  a  crimson  trail  that  streaked  the 
western  horizon. 

They  were  crossing  a  barren  stretch  of  land, 
dotted  here  and  there  with  red  and  yellow  cac- 
ti. Scarcely  had  they  reached  its  centre  when 
they  were  confronted  with  a  sight  that  almost 
paralysed  them  with  fright.  Tearing  toward 
them,  maddened  by  the  heat  and  coming  like  the 
wind  in  a  cloud  of  dust,  with  lowered  head  and 
foaming  jaws,  bellowing  and  snorting  as  he  tore 
up  the  earth,  was  a  wild-eyed  mountain  bull. 
For  one  brief  moment  Fern  lost  control  of  her- 
self, but  no  sooner  had  she  regained  her  sense 
of  reason  than  she  felt  herself  jerked  from  her 
feet  and  rushed  through  the  air.  As  she  hung 
flabbily  over  Forrest's  shoulder,  her  eyes  felt 
as  if  they  were  being  dragged  from  their  sock- 
ets. With  every  step  of  Forrest's  flying  feet, 
Fern  felt  that  the  next  would  be  their  last,  so 
closely  were  they  pursued  by  the  bull.  The  next 


CHOKECHERRYING  125 

instant  she  felt  herself  flying  through  space,  but 
when  she  regained  her  feet  she  found  that  a  wire 
fence  stood  between  her  and  danger.  She  had 
been  saved.  Saved,  only  to  suffer  a  greater 
torture,  for  a  fierce  battle  was  being  fought  be- 
fore her  eyes. 

The  gruesome  sight  turned  seconds  into 
hours,  and  she  crawled  on  her  hands  and  knees 
to  the  side  of  the  fence  to  separate  if  possible, 
the  two  objects  which  seemed  moulded  into  one 
shapeless  mass  of  moving  flesh  that  plunged  and 
leaped  into  the  air,  only  to  fall  back  again  upon 
the  ground  in  the  deadly  struggle.  As  great 
clouds  of  dust  rose  high  above  their  heads,  a 
heavy  wail  fell  from  Forrest's  lips. 

There  was  a  parting  of  the  two  objects. 
With  a  groan  of  exhaustion  Forrest  sank  to  his 
knees.  His  head  dropped  heavily  upon  his 
breast  and  blood  trickled  down  his  cheek.  But 
he  had  scarcely  time  to  catch  his  breath  before 
the  mad  bull  was  again  dashing  at  him.  For- 
rest sprang  to  one  side  and  with  all  his  might 
sank  his  hunting  knife  into  the  white  breast  of 
the  infuriated  beast.  The  dust  again  encircled 
them,  but  Fern  well  knew  the  meaning  of  the 
low  bellow  that  rent  the  air  and  went  echoing 
far  into  the  canyon  beyond. 

Slowly  the  dust  was  disappearing.  Slowly 
Fern  arose  to  her  feet  and  more  slowly  still 
she  drew  her  hand  across  her  eyes  a  second 
time,  perhaps  to  brush  away  the  scene,  but  it 


126      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WOELD 

only  made  it  more  vivid.  She  would  have  wel- 
comed death,  gladly,  to  what  she  saw.  The 
mountain  shadows  were  slowly  creeping  toward 
two  forms  stretched  out  upon  the  field.  The 
massive  head  and  shoulders  of  the  bull  lay 
motionless  across  the  muscular  form  of  Forrest, 
and  from  two  wounds, — the  one  dyeing  the 
white  breast  of  the  bull,  the  other  standing  out 
in  a  red,  glaring  line  across  the  forehead  of 
Forrest — trickled  their  lifeblood. 

Crawling  through  the  fence,  Fern  hurried  to 
Forrest  and  fell  upon  her  knees.  She  wiped  the 
blood  from  his  wound  with  her  handkerchief  and 
began  to  weep,  for  from  every  indication  he  was 
dead.  With  all  her  strength  she  struggled  to 
lift  the  carcass  that  pinned  Forrest's  body  to 
the  earth,  but  its  great  head  only  rolled  back 
to  glare  at  her  with  its  glassy  eyeballs. 

A  loneliness,  caused  by  Forrest's  silence, 
crept  over  her.  A  yearning  burned  deep  within 
her  breast.  She  did  not  want  to  speak.  She 
threw  her  arms  about  his  neck  and  closed  her 
eyes.  She,  too,  wanted  to  die — to  go  with  him. 
But  suspense  prompted  her  to  turn  searchingly 
to  the  western  sky,  still  red  from  the  glow  of  a 
glorious  sunset. 

"Till  death  do  us  part,"  she  uttered  aloud, 
repeating  Forrest's  words. 

Forrest  stirred. 

She  glanced  at  him,  quickly. 

He  was  looking  at  her. 


CHOKECHERRYING  127 

"Are  you  hurt,  Miss  Fern?" 

"Oh,  no,  but  you  are." 

"I'm  all  right,"  he  said  smilingly  as  he 
started  to  release  himself. 

She  saw  that  he  was  too  weak  and  quickly 
seized  the  dead  bull  by  the  horns,  lifted  its  head 
enough  to  let  Forrest  worm  out  and  stagger  to 
his  feet. 

He  raised  his  hand  wearily  to  the  painful 
wound  on  his  forehead. 

A  mist  came  into  Fern's  eyes  and  in  a  choked 
voice  she  tried  to  tell  him  how  sorry  she  was 
for  throwing  the  flower-pot. 

With  a  touch  of  seriousness  he  said  as  soon 
as  he  was  rested : 

"Bull-fighting  and  your  tears  are  both  new 
to  me.  Somehow  I  would  rather  fight  a  bull 
than  see  you  cry. ' ' 

Only  once  did  they  glance  back  at  the  lifeless 
form  of  the  bull  stretched  out  upon  the  ground 
and  soon  to  be  devoured  by  the  starving  coyotes. 

They  journeyed  along,  crawling  over  fallen 
timber,  frightened  birds  from  their  nests,  rous- 
ing the  scolding  little  chipmunks,  pushing  boul- 
ders over  steep  embankments  to  hear  their 
sounds  go  echoing  through  the  mountains.  All 
this  they  did  as  children  would  do,  forgetting 
their  sorrows,  for  they  were  only  children  after 
all. 


CHAPTER 

THE   BOY   TBAMP 

4  <  "W"     "W"  ELLO,  Mother ! ' » 

• I        "Who  is  it?" 

"You  strike  a  light  and  take 
M       JL  a  look  at  me. " 

"Come  in!" — and  Mother  Lee  pushed  aside 
a  number  of  children  from  her  chair  at  the  win- 
dow. 

"It's  daddy!"  whispered  Mary  Grimes. 

Mother  Lee  crossed  the  kitchen  and  struck  a 
match.  After  lighting  the  only  lamp  in  the 
house  she  peered  blinkingly  at  a  rather  short, 
neatly  dressed  man. 

"Well,  I'll  be  switched!  What  happened  to 
you?" 

"Come  to  my  senses,  that's  all.  I've  kept  off 
the  stuff  since  you  saw  me  last ;  got  a  good  job ; 
foreman  at  the  new  water-works,  and  I'm  mar- 
ried again." 

"Well,  what  do  you  want  here?" 

"My  children." 

Mary  seized  her  two  younger  brothers  and 
stood  defying  her  father. 

"It's  about  time.  Will  this  woman  be  good 
to  them?" 

128 


THE  BOY  TRAMP  129 

"You  know  the  Wilson  girls ?" 

"I  do." 

"It's  the  oldest  one." 

"She's  the  proper  caper.  She'll  make  you 
toe  the  mark.  Are  you  keeping  house?" 

"Got  a  dandy  home  of  our  own  at  the  new 
reservoir." 

"Going  to  take  the  children  with  you  to- 
night?" 

"Thought  I  would — less  comment,  don't  you 
think?" 

Mary  began  to  sob  and  seeing  their  sister 
in  grief,  the  brothers  burst  into  tears. 

"Hush     up!"     commanded     Mother     Lee. 

"You're  not  going  to  that  shack  on  the  big 
ditch  but  to  a  good  home,  near  enough  to  visit 
me  often," — and  Mother  Lee  helped  Mary 
bundle  up  their  belongings,  and  later  assisted 
the  children  into  a  four  seated  carriage. 

"Is  this  your  rig?" 

"Yes."  ' 

"You  deserve  credit,  Grimes." 

"The  credit  belongs  to  you,  Mother.  You  did 
it  all." 

"No,  you're  mistaken.  It's  the  little  bit  of 
good  in  you  that  had  to  come  out.  Goodnight 
and  God  protect  them  children," — mopping 
their  wet,  sobbing  faces  with  a  cloth  she  had  in 
her  hand. 

4 '  Hush  up !  One  would  think  that  Satan  was 
taking  you  off.  Your  father  has  promised  me 


130      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

he  'd  be  good  to  yon.  You  go  and  watch  and  see 
that  he  keeps  his  promise," — chucking  the 
youngest  under  the  chin. 

The  grating  of  wheels  on  the  brick  driveway 
drowned  the  crying  of  the  children  and  the  dark- 
ness hid  their  appealing  gestures  but  Mother 
Lee  knew  without  seeing,  all  that  was  going  on. 
She  stood  for  a  long  time,  very  still,  for  to  her 
another  ray  of  sunshine  had  passed  out  of  her 
life.  She  spoke  aloud: 

"Hold  no  regrets  for  them  that  go 
Out  of  your  life,  perhaps  to  stay, 
Fill  up  the  space  that's  in  your  heart 
And  pray  for  them  that's  on  their  way." 

Mother  Lee  had  become  so  used  to  the  con- 
stant changing  of  faces  that  it  seemed  perfectly 
natural  for  old  ones  to  go  and  new  ones  to 
come.  In  fact  that  was  the  only  interest — the 
only  pleasure  she  had  encountered  in  life.  It 
was  all  she  had  to  look  forward  to — to  keep 
her  up  and  ever  working.  The  sun  was  the  first 
to  greet  her  in  the  morning  and  the  moon  and 
stars  the  last  at  night.  All  else  came  in  between 
and  the  more  she  could  crowd  into  a  day  the  bet- 
ter satisfied  she  was.  The  young  about  her  al- 
ways kept  her  young  in  ideas  and  active  of  body. 
No  adversity  ever  arose  in  which  she  did  not 
take  an  interest  and  in  some  shape  or  form 
changed  it  for  the  better.  She  was  never  too 
tired  to  listen  to  and  advise  those  who  came  to 


THE  BOY  TRAMP  131 

her  for  advice.  So  the  empty  space  in  her  heart 
for  the  Grimes  children  was  filled  the  very  next 
morning  when  a  tired,  haggard-faced  youth 
knocked  at  the  kitchen  door  and  with  his  coat 
collar  turned  up,  partly  covering  his  face,  asked 
for  something  to  eat. 

" Walk  in,  sir!" 

The  youth  hesitated. 

"No,  ma'am.    I'd  rather  have  it  out  here." 

Mother  Lee  peered  steadily  at  him,  then 
opened  the  screen  door  and  commanded : 

"Come  in  the  house  and  wait  on  yourself! 
I've  no  time." 

He  entered  timidly  and  looked  searchingly 
about.  Spying  a  crust  of  fresh  bread  on  the 
hearth,  he  seized  it  and  began  choking  it  down. 

Mother  Lee  snatched  the  crust  from  his  hand. 

'  *  Here !  Drink  this  cup  of  broth  and  let  the 
bread  alone!" 

The  youth  took  the  cup  and  drank  the  broth 
in  one  swallow,  then  looked  eagerly  for  more. 

"That's  all  you'll  get  for  awhile.  Go  over 
there  in  that  corner  and  sit  down  and  rest  your- 
self!" 

He  looked  toward  the  door. 

Mother  Lee  guessed  his  intention  and  said: 

"Get  over  there  out  of  sight !    You're  safe." 

He  obeyed. 

"Why  do  you  keep  that  filthy  rag  to  your 
face?  Here!  Take  this  one  and  throw  that  in 
the  stove!" 


132       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

The  exchange  was  done  so  quickly  that 
Mother  Lee  did  not  see  the  lower  part  of  the 
youth's  face,  but  not  quick  enough  to  prevent 
her  from  reading  the  frightened  expression  in 
his  eyes. 

She  dipped  out  a  few  more  spoonfuls  of  broth 
into  the  cup  and  handed  it  to  him. 

"Here!  Drink  this,  and  then  take  that 
blanket  and  pillow  and  crawl  in  behind  the  stove 
and  go  to  sleep !  When  you  wake  up  I  will  give 
you  something  to  eat." 

His  eyes  again  grew  wild.  He  looked  toward 
the  door. 

"Have  no  fear.  No  one  comes  here  until 
noon  and  you  can  be  gone  by  then.  I'll  bring 
no  harm  to  you." 

He  stared  into  her  eyes  for  a  few  seconds 
and  the  something  he  saw  there  caused  him  to 
lower  his  head  and  burst  into  tears. 

"Come,  Come!  Your  brain  is  tired.  You 
need  rest." 

She  half  assisted  him  to  the  dark  corner  of 
the  kitchen,  and  spread  the  blanket  and  laid  the 
pillow  down. 

"Crawl  in  and  cover  up!" 

He  did  as  he  was  told  and  soon  was  asleep. 

Mother  Lee  went  about  her  work,  now  and 
then  stopping  long  enough  to  look  into  the  cor- 
ner. 

The  youth  had  turned  in  his  sleep  so  that  his 
face  was  fully  exposed. 


THE  BOY  TRAMP  133 

Mother  Lee  studied  it  closely,  but  detected 
no  trace  of  crime. 

"Only  a  pale  wayward  son  of  some  good 
mother,"  she  argued  to  herself. 

The  youth's  nerves  jerked  and  his  body  often 
turned  restlessly.  Once  he  called  out: 

"I  didn't  do  it!  I  tell  you,  I  didn't  do 
it!" 

That  was  sufficient  evidence  for  Mother  Lee, 
so  she  quietly  waited  for  him  to  awaken. 

It  was  long  after  sundown  and  the  chores  had 
been  finished.  The  children  were  curiously 
staring  back  of  the  stove  when  Mother  Lee,  with 
another  cup  of  broth  stooped  down  and  roughly 
aroused  the  sleeper  to  a  sitting  position. 

"Come!    Drink  this!" 

He  reluctantly  obeyed  before  he  was  fully 
awake.  After  she  had  placed  the  cup  on  the 
table  he  started  up  but  fell  back  crying: 

"I'm  sick!  I  can't  go  any  farther.  Let  me 
die!" 

He  again  sank  into  a  sleep. 

Mother  Lee  pulled  open  his  shirt  from  about 
his  throat  and  roughly  washed  his  face  and 
hands.  She  noticed  from  his  clothing  that  he 
had  come  from  a  reformatory  and  she  knew 
that  he  must  have  walked  all  the  way,  judging 
from  the  worn  condition  of  his  shoes  which  she 
had  one  of  the  children  remove. 

"He's  a  fugitive  from  justice,  but  we'll  let 
him  rest  till  morning." 


134       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

The  children  looked  up  and  smiled  their  inno- 
cent sanction. 

Mother  Lee  wound  the  little  battered  alarm- 
clock  and  joined  the  children  and  soon  they  were 
all  nestled  in  the  big  bed  while  she  mechanically 
told  a  goodnight  story. 

Her  mind  trailed  from  place  to  place  and  she 
wondered  if  all  were  well  here  and  there.  Her 
last  thought  was  of  Forrest.  She  had  seen  him 
but  a  few  times  since  he  left  her.  She  often 
felt  lonesome  for  him  but  she  never  complained 
beyond  her  thoughts.  The  new  face  back  of  the 
stove  gave  her  much  interest  and  twice  during 
the  night  she  arose  and  went  and  looked  at 
the  sleeping  youth,  sleeping  off  complete  ex- 
haustion. She  knew  for  she  felt  regularity  in 
his  pulse. 

As  daylight  broke  in  through  the  curtainless 
windows  Mother  Lee  had  already  started  the 
fire,  and  the  sliding  of  pots  and  pans  on  the 
stove  awoke  the  youth.  He  sat  up  and  stared 
at  her. 

"Go  wash  your  face  and  hands  and  fetch  me 
in  an  armful  of  wood !  Since  my  boy  Forrest 
has  gone  there's  no  regularity  in  the  wood 
box." 

The  youth  quickly  responded  but  he  staggered 
from  weakness. 

Mother  Lee  pretended  not  to  have  noticed  it. 

"It's  the  only  way  to  get  him  on  his  feet," 
she  thought. 


THE  BOY  TRAMP  135 

She  made  him  a  bowl  of  gruel  and  milk  which 
he  ate  with  eagerness  and  asked  for  more. 

*  *  Starved  stomachs  must  not  be  crammed. ' ' 

For  hours  the  youth  sat  in  the  kitchen  humped 
up  in  a  chair  never  lifting  his  eyes.  If  anyone 
entered  he  would  suddenly  disappear  behind 
the  stove. 

Once  he  was  caught  unawares  and  Mother  Lee 
pushed  his  head  down  back  of  the  stove.  She 
did  this  more  to  gain  his  confidence. 

As  the  day  wore  into  another  night  and  as 
the  youth  was  regaining  his  strength  he  eagerly 
accepted  the  protectorate  of  Mother  Lee.  His 
big,  haunting  eyes  followed  her  every  movement, 
fully  assured  that  she  was  his  friend. 

The  kitchen  had  gradually  grown  dark  and 
quiet.  The  children  had  gathered  around 
Mother  Lee  who,  at  last,  took  a  seat  at  the  win- 
dow and  looked  out  on  the  moonlit  world. 

"When  the  God-farmer  planted  his  human 
seeds  he  didn't  expect  them  all  to  come  out  per- 
fect, but  he  did  expect  them  to  join  helping 
hands  with  one  another.  Some  of  us  are  sure 
to  fall  by  the  wayside  and  get  caught  in  the 
storm,  but  there  is  no  storm  too  great  for  us 
to  weather  if  we  make  up  our  minds." 

Mother  Lee  turned  her  head  in  the  direction 
of  the  dark  corner. 

"Come,  boy!  Fetch  your  chair  over  here 
with  us." 

He  gladly  accepted  the  invitation. 


136      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

"What  is  your  name?" 

"Homer  Wright." 

"Homer,  you're  all  right." 

The  thought  crossed  Mother  Lee's  mind  that 
he  was  willing  to  do  right  and  that  was  all  that 
was  necessary. 

After  a  moment's  pause,  Mother  Lee  con- 
tinued her  story. 

"We  have  many  storms  in  our  lives.  Some- 
times only  shadows  and  other  times  terrible 
storms  come  along  and  drive  us  out  into  the 
world  away  from  our  friends  but  never  our 
enemies.  We  do  something  that  makes  us  sorry. 
Perhaps  we  sin  unconsciously  and  are  driven 
away  through  fright.  Sometimes  we  are 
falsely  accused  and  have  to  suffer  because  we 
cannot  make  our  positions  clear  in  the  eyes  of 
others.  Sometimes  we  wilfully  do  a  terrible 
thing  and  rush  away  to  avoid  punishment.  But 
there's  one  thing  you  must  remember.  It 
doesn't  matter  how  cloudy  or  stormy  life  may 
be,  there's  always  a  bit  of  sunshine  ready  to 
pop  through." 

"How?"  eagerly  asked  the  youth. 

"In  many  ways.  It  depends  much  upon  the 
sin.  The  best  and  surest  way  is  to  undo  it  if 
such  a  thing  can  be  done.  Stolen  money  with 
interest  can  be  replaced  and  the  storm  wiped 
out  if  there  is  a  conscience  back  of  it.  If  we 
harm  some  person,  time  heals  all  wounds  and 
the  judgment  day  will  take  care  of  the  rest." 


THE  BOY  TKAMP  137 

Mother  Lee 's  reasoning  was  too  deep  for  the 
younger  children.  They  were  nodding  drowsily 
and  she  stopped  speaking  long  enough  to  send 
them  to  bed. 

'  *  There  is  no  cure,  for  a  troubled  conscience, 
like  a  clean  breast.  Now,  Homer,  tell  me  what 
is  on  your  mind.  Whatever  it  is  I  will  help 
you.  Come,  out  with  it!" 

For  a  time  the  youth  sat  silently. 

4 '  Are  your  parents  living  ? ' ' 

"No," — and  the  youth's  nerves  started  to 
twitch. 

"How  old  are  you?" 

"Sixteen." 

"You  ran  away  from  the  reform  school?" 

The  youth  sprang  to  his  feet. 

"Don't  be  afraid!  I'll  never  send  you  back. 
Out  with  it,  I  say!  Didn't  you  run  away  from 
the  reform  school?" 

"Yes." 

"How  long  have  you  been  there?" 

"Most  all  my  life." 

"You  don't  look  like  a  bad  boy." 

"I'm  not,  but  the  school — " 

"Don't  find  fault  with  them  schools.  You 
show  good  manners.  Go  out  on  the  porch  and 
fetch  in  that  biggest  tub!" 

Mother  Lee  waited  until  he  had  placed  the  tub 
where  she  had  directed.  Pouring  a  kettle  full 
of  boiling  water  into  it,  she  said : 

"Now  cool  that  down  with  water  from  the 


138      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

cistern,  then  strip  off,  take  a  bath  and  put  on 
them  clean  clothes !  Don't  mind  me  I  Besides, 
the  moon  is  going  behind  a  cloud." 

Mother  Lee  left  the  kitchen. 

A  while  later  the  youth  called  out: 

"I'm  finished." 

"Well,  dump  the  water  out  on  the  lawn ! ' ' 

After  the  youth  poured  out  the  water  and 
turned  the  tub  upside  down  on  the  porch  he 
neatly  rolled  back  the  sleeves  of  an  undershirt 
almost  double  his  size  and  stood  waiting. 

"To-night  you  sleep  upstairs.  Take  any 
room  you  find  vacant !  Climb  out  early  in  the 
morning!  I  want  you  to  go  up  in  the  hills  to- 
morrow and  take  some  fresh  grub  up  to  Hank 
Hopkins.'1 


CHAPTER 

PRINCE  ABTHTJB 


Wl 


AT  a  strapping  fellow  you 
have  grown  to  be!"  proudly 
exclaimed    Mother    Lee    as 
"Prince"  Arthur  entered  the 
kitchen  after  an  absence  of  several  months. 

"Prince"  Arthur  scanned  his  well  developed 
muscles  made  stronger  because  of  his  seven 
years  outdoor  life  on  Dakota 's  ranch.  He 
smiled  but  said  nothing  as  he  took  a  steaming 
plate  from  her  hand. 

"He  was  the  quietest  and  most  unassuming 
of  all  my  *  fledgelings ';  a  chubby  little  fellow, 
strong  as  a  young  ox.  He  went  about  his  busi- 
ness systematically;  did  his  chores;  ate  his 
meals  and  studied  his  lessons  with  amazing  reg- 
ularity and  was  always  the  most  ardent  of  listen- 
ers to  my  bedtime  stories.  When  his  father, 
who  is  my  youngest  son,  separated  from  his 
wife,  he  brought  me  that  boy,  almost  a  baby,  to 
raise,  then  went  up  there  in  them  hills  with  them 
wood-choppers  and  worked  like  a  trooper,  with 
his  health  all  gone.  Through  study  and  listen- 
ing that  boy  in  there  has  developed  a  mind  of  his 

139 


140       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WOELD 

own.  I  predicted  that  he  would  be  a  great  rail- 
road man,  but  he  has  mapped  out  his  own  career. 
Got  his  mind  set  on  music.  When  he  was  a  little 
shaver  he  used  to  walk  three  miles  and  a  half 
to  the  Bee  ranch  to  practice  just  one  hour  on 
their  old  tin-pan  pianer.  Every  day  after 
school  just  as  regular  as  I  wind  my  clock  I  used 
to  see  him  heading  off  over  them  hills.  My,  how 
time  flies!  That  boy's  a  man  already!'* 

Mother  Lee  had  been  speaking  to  a  small, 
stooped  woman,  who  sat  drinking  a  bowl  of 
coffee  at  the  hearth,  and  who  had  stopped  in  to 
rest  before  taking  a  basket  of  garden  flowers 
to  the  little  clay  cemetery  over  the  hill. 

Mother  Lee  scanned  the  flowers  out  of  the 
corner  of  her  eye  and  looked  over  her  glasses 
at  the  woman,  who  seemed  to  have  nothing  else 
to  do  but  place  flowers  on  graves. 

"I  suppose  you  raise  them  flowers  pur- 
posely." 

"Yes.  And  I  do  take  much  pleasure  in 
placing  them  on  those  poor,  forsaken  graves. 
Nothing  will  grow  there.  I  asked  the  Marshal 
the  other  day  if  it  wasn't  possible  to  haul  dirt 
up  there." 

"I  suppose  he  told  you  it  would  be  cheaper 
to  move  the  gravest"  answered  Mother  Lee. 

' '  That 's  exactly  what  he  told  me.  How  'd  you 
know?" — and  the  little  old  woman  peered  up 
quizzically  from  her  bowl  of  coffee. 

"I  know  the  Marshal,"  was  the  quick  reply. 


PRINCE  ARTHUR  141 

Mother  Lee  wasted  no  more  of  her  time  with 
the  neighbour,  but  it  crossed  her  mind,  never- 
theless, that  perhaps  it  was  just  as  well  that 
someone  did  look  after  the  dead,  for  several  of 
the  Lees  lay  up  there  in  the  clay. 

•  •  •••••• 

Washday  was  the  most  exciting  day  of  the 
week.  It  always  happened  on  Saturday  when 
the  children  were  home  from  school. 

Mother  Lee  would  build  an  extra  hot  fire,  put 
on  a  big  copper  boiler  and  with  a  twinkle  in  her 
eye,  call  out : 

"Peel  off!" 

That  was  the  commanding  declaration,  and 
like  the  ant  hill  suddenly  disturbed,  her  family 
of  "fledgelings"  scampered  about  excitedly. 
They  jostled  with  pans,  tubs,  washboards, 
buckets,  mops  and  brooms.  The  smaller  chil- 
dren carried  soft  water  from  the  big  ditch,  while 
the  older  ones  dove  into  the  tubs  of  hot  suds. 
The  tots  carried  the  garment  as  soon  as  washed 
to  Mother  Lee  who  stood  stirring  with  a  broom- 
handle  in  the  big  copper  boiler,  cleverly  conceal- 
ing the  laboriousness  of  a  washday  by  trans- 
forming the  wash  scene  into  a  queen's  palace  or 
a  general's  battlefield,  interrupting  with  the 
stern  command  of : 

"More  elbow  grease  and  less  soap." 

At  the  conclusion  of  washday,  when  the 
buckets  and  mops  were  put  into  execution  on  the 
big  kitchen  floor,  the  real  fun  began.  Mother 


142      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

Lee  called  it  the  bombarding  of  her  fort.  Bare 
feet  and  mops  went  flying  about  the  floor  mis- 
chievously. The  work  was  fast  and  furious. 
Then  came  the  cleaning  up  of  the  great  day ;  the 
clearing  of  the  battlefield.  Tubs,  mops,  wash- 
boards and  buckets  were  put  in  their  proper 
places  and  Mother  Lee  in  the  midst  of  it  all  was 
the  first  to  speak. 

"God  bless  the  hands  of  invention.  We  have 
done  a  week's  work  in  one  day.  What  in 
thunderation  is  that?" 

Never  before  had  the  children  seen  Mother 
Lee  more  frightened. 

"It's  a  threshing-machine.  They're  driving 
it  into  my  yard.  Go  stop  them ! ' ' 

But  before  Mother  Lee  could  finish  her  com- 
mand the  big,  black  object  had  rattled  up  the 
drive  and  stopped  in  the  barn  yard.  The 
frightened  snorts  from  a  couple  of  farm  horses 
that  hung  their  heads  over  the  half  door  of  the 
barn,  expressed  much  the  same  surprise  as  had 
Mother  Lee,  who  with  several  children  hurried 
out  where  she  met  a  party  of  tired  and  hun- 
gry tourists  in  a  seven  passenger  automo- 
bile. 

Mother  Lee  was  not  a  person  to  express  her 
ignorance,  and  while  she  talked  to  them  about 
accommodations,  she  eyed  keenly  the  first  auto- 
mobile she  had  ever  seen. 

"These  roads  out  here  are  not  cut  out  for 
automobiles,"  said  one  of  the  men  of  the  party, 


PRINCE  AKTHUK  143 

a  little  later,  as  Mother  Lee  prepared  their 
supper. 

"Them  roads  were  cut  out  for  horses  and 
wagons." 

"We're  looking  for  a  hotel  site,"  the  same 
man  continued. 

Mother  Lee  gave  him  a  sharp  glance  for  when 
any  one  mentioned  hotels  she  felt  they  were 
infringing  on  her  rights. 

' '  Oh,  not  like  this !  A  million  dollar  affair ! 
You  see,  we've  got  the  dope  that  that  road  out 
there,  leading  up  into  the  mountains  will  soon 
be  opened  to  the  public." 

"It  always  has  been  a  public  road  and  my 
place  here  has  accommodated  all  who  have 
travelled  it  for  the  last  forty  years." 

' '  Oh,  your  trade  will  increase,  if  the  new  park 
which  is  to  be  opened  is  a  success.  You  will 
see  a  constant  stream  of  automobiles  passing 
your  door." 

"Passing  is  right.  Doesn't  matter  to  me 
what  they  do.  I  have  all  the  people  I  want.  I 
have  no  time  for  butterfly  trade," — eyeing  con- 
temptuously an  unobserving  little  blonde  who 
had  previously  expressed  her  dislike  for  the 
accommodations  of  Cottage  Home. 

"I  see  that  you  cater  more  to  the  common 
people.,  the  ranch  men  and — " 

"I  cater  only  to  my  own  people;  the  people 
who  belong  to  this  country.  Here !  Take  this 
and  go  to  the  dining-room," — and  Mother  Lee 


144      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

pushed  a  steaming  plate  into  his  hand.  * '  You'll 
find  a  knife  and  fork  at  the  end  of  the  table,  and 
here's  your  cup  of  coffee.  Where's  the  rest  of 
your  party!" 

1 1  On  the  porch.  You  see — I  'm  only  the  chauf- 
feur and  they'll  be  sore  to  find  I've  been  seived 
first." 

"Well,  I  don't  know  how  you  differentiate 
among  yourselves  but  you  will  all  be  served 
alike  here," — and  Mother  Lee  with  the  coffee 
pot  still  in  her  hand  went  to  the  door  and  called 
out:  "Come  in  and  get  your  plates!" 

The  curious  little  party  of  four  men  and  a 
woman  filed  into  the  kitchen. 

"Well,  what  absurdity!  Carry  your  own 
dinner  to  the  table  ?  Not  I ! ' ' — setting  down  the 
plate  that  she  had  taken  from  Mother  Lee's 
hand. 

"Yes  Miss,  or  Mrs. ;  that  has  always  been 

the  custom  of  my  house  and  I  believe  in  my 
forty  years '  experience  you  are  the  first  to  criti- 
cise my  custom.  I  heard  your  comments  about 
my  sign  above  the  door.  I  saw  your  distaste- 
ful frown  at  the  sight  of  my  beds.  The  nights 
are  quite  chilly  and  the  houses  are  few  and  far 
between.  Now  if  you  care  for  shelter,  respect 
my  roof.  I  don't  care  a  rap  for  your  money, 
nor  was  I  placed  on  earth  to  accommodate  you 
unless  you  come  half  way.  My  motto  is :  l  God 
helps  them  who  help  themselves,'  " — again  hold- 
ing the  plate  to  the  astonished  blonde,  adding 


PRINCE  ARTHUR  145 

in  a  lower  tone :  ' '  You  look  so  nice.  Why  don 't 
you  act  accordingly?  I'm  disappointed  in 
you." 

The  young  woman  accepted  her  dinner  and 
carried  it  indignantly  to  the  dining-room  with- 
out further  question. 

"Yes,  she  belongs  to  the  human  seed  family," 
spoke  Mother  Lee  in  answer  to  a  child's  inquiry, 
"but  she  grew  up  in  one  of  them  nice  gardens 
where  her  master,  'I,'  was  only  taught  to  paint 
and  keep  pretty  the  outside  of  her  house.  She 
has  fine  qualities  within  but  they  have  never 
been  developed.  She  has  only  clothed  her  mas- 
ter, 'I,'  in  selfishness,  and  non-consideration. 
I  never  want  to  find  such  a  garment  in  your 
little  homes.  If  circumstances  permit  you  to 
some  day  step  upon  the  velvet  carpets  of  some 
rich  man's  home,  don't  ridicule  it.  Don't  hurt 
his  feelings.  Keep  quiet  and  put  up  with  it." 

Mother  Lee  paused  at  the  window  and  looked 
out.  Her  sharp  ears  had  caught  the  sound  of 
feet  on  the  brick  walk.  After  closely  studying 
the  outline  of  the  bent  form,  she  said,  as  she 
recognised  the  General  Store-keeper: 

"Here  comes  old  Brunell  with  his  antedilu- 
vian bill." 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE   WIND  JUST  BLEW   HER  IN 

EVERYBODY  from  the  mountains  to 
the  valleys  was  mighty  glad  that  a 
hard,  steady,  cold  winter  was  at  last 
over,  and  one  by  one  the  great,  silent 
men  from  the  outside  world  shed  their  bungle- 
some,  bearskin  coats  and  furlined  rubber  boots. 
The  children  gladly  cast  aside  their  woolen 
stockings  and  mittens,  and  for  the  last  time  that 
winter  unwound  their  two-yard  mufflers  from 
their  throats. 

The  heavy  snows  melted  away  from  the  white 
capped  mountains  and  the  water  came  rushing 
and  roaring  down  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  can- 
yon, overflowing  the  banks  of  the  Big  Thompson. 
And  Cottage  Home  was  once  more  surrounded 
by  a  clean,  green  plateau  of  smooth  lawn. 

Again  Mother  Lee  could  look  across  the  low 
sand-hills  and  see  green  spots  of  alfalfa  loom- 
ing up  in  the  distance  and  from  the  location  of 
each  particular  spot  that  dotted  the  vast  ex- 
panse of  open  country,  she  well  knew  its  owner. 
Bob  and  Ida  with  their  first-born  perched  up 
upon  the  seat  between  them  were  again  glad  to 
drive  down  from  the  north  over  alkali  roads  to 

146 


THE  WIND  JUST  BLEW  HER  IN     147 

visit  with  Mother  Lee  and  stock  up  at  the  Gen- 
eral Store. 

Sam  Ditmar  and  Rose  came  up  from  the  sand- 
hills in  their  new  surrey  with  their  children  all 
dressed  alike  in  pretty,  blue-checked  gingham 
frocks  which  Rose  proudly  admitted  she  had 
made  and  cross-stitched  in  "Flor-de-lee"  de- 
signs. 

Dakota,  with  his  new  tanned  Stetson  hat  and 
blind  indifference  to  all  about  him,  silently  came 
and  as  silently  went  with  his  grub-box  tucked 
full,  and  his  two  barrels  of  mineral  water  from 
the  town 's  artesian  well. 

" Prince"  Arthur,  who  with  his  father,  had 
rented  on  shares  an  old,  deserted  ranch  and  had 
begun  a  year's  crop  on  a  scanty  start,  athletic- 
ally walked  in  across  the  open  country  to  Cottage 
Home  for  exercise,  as  he  gave  the  others  to  un- 
derstand, when  in  reality  it  was  to  spare  his 
tired  plow-horses  the  long  trip.  It  was  also  in 
his  mind  to  walk  a  mile  or  so  out  of  his  way 
to  stop  for  a  little  practice  on  the  old  square 
piano  at  the  Bee  ranch. 

Bardoff,  fatter  and  rounder  than  ever,  pulled 
up  his  shaggy  team  to  a  stop  in  front  of  Cottage 
Home  and  climbed  out  of  his  rickety  lumber- 
wagon  as  he  cheerfully  scented  the  odour  of 
fresh  bread. 

Young  Homer  Wright,  "Homer  the  Great," 
as  Mother  Lee  had  nicknamed  him,  gladly  stole 
down  from  the  mountains  to  talk  over  his  fu- 


148       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

ture  with  her  and  take  back  a  fresh  supply  of 
grub  and  clothing  for  the  trappers. 

Sweet  William,  who  seemed  to  have  come 
from  nowhere  and  who  apparently  lived  for  the 
sole  privilege  of  painting  Mother  Lee's  house, 
barn  and  fence,  came  out  of  his  winter  shell  for 
his  sun-bath  on  the  wood-pile. 

The  Swedes  from  the  stone-quarries  and 
plaster-mills  came  in  afoot  for  a  new  supply  of 
shoes  and  alcohol. 

Old  Dave,  in  his  shabby  sheep-skin  coat,  drove 
down  from  the  timberlands  to  the  barn,  un- 
hitched and  fed  his  horses  and  lumbered  into 
the  kitchen. 

"How's  s Forrest?"  was  Mother  Lee's  first 
question. 

Old  Dave  shrugged  his  shoulders  with  indif- 
ference. 

"  Chuck's  all  right.  Big  as  a  bear  'nd  strong 
as  an  ox." 

While  Old  Dave  ate  his  dinner,  Mother  Lee 
wrapped  up  some  clean  clothes,  a  few  cookies 
and  a  number  of  apples  in  a  bundle  for  Forrest 
and  had  one  of  the  children  tie  it  to  Old  Dave 's 
wagon-seat,  she  never  relying  on  his  memory 
for  anything. 

From  a  servant  who  had  come  down  for  mail 
and  provisions,  Mother  Lee  learned  that  the 
Dales  were  still  in  the  land  of  the  living. 

The  medium  of  everybody's  welfare,  first 
doing  this  and  then  doing  something  else,  help- 


THE  WIND  JUST  BLEW  HER  IN     149 

ing,  scolding,  and  advising  each  in  turn,  Mother 
Lee  kept  the  ball  a-rolling  as  she  trotted  along 
in  her  busy  life. 

"Work,  eat  and  sleep  and  feed  them  moss- 
backed  hermits/'  she  said,  "is  what  has  made 
my  wheel  of  life  go  'round  and  'round  for  these 
three  score  years  and  ten." 

A  new  member  of  interest  had  come  into  her 
life. 

"The  cold  winter  winds  just  blew  her  in," 
was  Mother  Lee's  explanation  of  the  sudden 
appearance  of  Maud,  a  buxom  lass  in  her  teens. 
But  Mother  Lee  knew  she  had  come  of  a  no- 
good  family  that  had  been  driven  from  a  neigh- 
bouring town. 

Maud  was  strong  and  used  to  hard  work.  She 
could  turn  out  the  heaviest  kind  of  a  washing 
in  less  time  than  anyone  who  ever  put  a  foot 
inside  Cottage  Home.  Work  to  her  was  like 
play,  so  Mother  Lee  contrived  a  scheme  that 
gave  Maud  an  opportunity  to  make  some  extra 
money  and  start  a  bank  account.  She  had  her 
take  in  the  washings  such  as  the  white  shirts, 
collars  and  cuffs  of  the  town  bachelors, — the 
marshal ;  the  druggist,  who  was  also  the  doctor 
and  dentist;  the  General  Storekeeper  and  the 
saloon-keeper,  when  the  town  wasn't  dry. 

All  this  Maud  did  during  her  spare  time,  and 
she  found  much  pleasure  watching  her  small 
change  grow  into  half  dollars  and  into  dollars 
now  and  then. 


150       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

After  she  had  been  well  established  in  Cottage 
Home  and  was  like  one  of  the  family,  Mother 
Lee's  eagle  eye  observed  that  Bardoff  was 
coming  along  and  stopping  before  Cottage 
Home  more  frequently  than  was  his  custom,  and 
it  was  not  the  odour  of  fresh  bread,  either,  that 
attracted  him. 

' 'The  old  fossil!"  Mother  Lee  remarked  one 
day  to  one  of  his  friends.  "He's  old  enough 
to  be  Maud's  grandfather." 

Bardoff  heard  of  the  remark  and  for  a  long 
time  his  wagon  would  rattle  at  full  speed  past 
Cottage  Home  as  if  the  Devil  was  in  hot  pur- 
suit. 

As  time  wore  on  and  the  odour  of  fresh  bread 
began  to  predominate,  Bardoff  discarded  his 
grievance  and  again  pulled  up  before  Cottage 
Home,  but  he  avoided  Maud  who  faithfully  con- 
tinued to  iron  shirts  and  save  money. 

Mother  Lee  grew  very  fond  of  Maud,  who  had 
a  sad  expressionless  face.  Her  thin,  light  hair 
was  always  combed  back  from  her  high,  broad 
forehead — a  forehead  made  to  appear  still 
higher  by  the  absence  of  eyebrows — but  a  fore- 
head which  Mother  Lee  often  said  "was  full 
of  good,  sound  horse-sense."  Her  lips  were 
thick  and  ordinarily  expressed  hatred  of  her- 
self and  the  world  in  general,  yet  there  was 
never  a  grain  of  hatred  in  her  make-up.  The 
only  beauty  in  her  face,  was  in  her  large,  honest 
blue  eyes,  so  filled  with  kindness  and  love  for 


THE  WIND  JUST  BLEW  HER  IN     151 

everything.    Her  large,  raw-boned  joints  and 

her  big  red  hands  provoked  many  a  colloquial 

remark,  such  as : 

1 '  She 's  a  strappin '  heifer,  isn  't  she ! ' ' 
But  such  unkind  expressions  never  disturbed 

Maud  in  the  least.    She  would  only  smile,  and 

look  at  Mother  Lee  who  never  failed  to  comfort 

her  by  saying: 
"  Never  mind,  Maud  will  yet  put  you  all  in 

the  shade." 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE   SPIDEB  AND   THE  LADY-BUG 

OLD  Dave's  trips  down  the  mountain 
road  with  his  loads  of  ties  were  more 
eagerly  watched  by  Forrest  than 
ever  before.    He  scarcely  waited  for 
his  father  to  start  away  before  he  arranged 
his  toilet  and  prepared  to  spend  an  afternoon 
with  Fern. 

The  cold  winter  months  that  had  separated 
them  produced  quite  a  change  in  Fern,  to  For- 
rest's way  of  thinking.  She  appeared  much 
older.  Her  dresses  were  longer  and  her  curls 
were  brushed  and  tied  in  a  silky  knot  at  the 
back  of  her  head.  She  had  grown  more  re- 
served. In  fact  there  was  something  about  her 
that  worried  him.  It  often  popped  up  in  his 
mind  to  ask  her  if  she  had  changed  her  views 
about,  "till  death  do  us  part,"  but  for  some  un- 
known reason  he  could  never  muster  up  the 
courage  to  ask  the  question.  The  very  sight  of 
her  pretty  eyes  looking  into  his  or  the  glimpse 
of  her  delicate  form  tripping  along  ahead  of  him 
made  him  fearful  that  her  answer  might  be 
worse  than  death.  At  every  opportunity  he 
would  unconsciously  scrutinise  her. 

152 


THE  SPIDER  AND  THE  LADY-BUG     153 

'  *  What  makes  you  look  at  me  so  ? "  she  often 
asked. 

He  would  quickly  shift  his  eyes.  He  wanted 
to  say,  " because  I  love  you,"  but  again  he  was 
afraid  and  just  said  something  of  no  importance. 

Sometimes  she  poised  so  charmingly  upon  the 
moss-covered  rock,  that  he  was  on  the  point  of 
seizing  her  in  his  arms  to  kiss  her,  but  his  will- 
power always  predominated,  yet  with  such  dif- 
ficulty at  times  that  his  face  would  turn  pale  and 
Fern  would  ask: 

"Are  you  ill?" 

He  would  laugh  away  her  anxiety  or  divert 
her  attention  to  some  new  subject  of  no  particu- 
lar interest.  He  was  glad  when  he  knew  the 
material  part  of  himself,  as  he  fully  understood 
from  Mother  Lee's  teachings,  was  conquerable. 

What  right  had  he  to  seize  Fern  and  kiss  her 
without  her  permission,  just  because  she  was  so 
beautiful  to  him,  when  as  yet,  they  had  only 
the  solemn  agreement  of  their  childhood! 
"Death  do  us  part"  did  not  necessarily  mean 
that  she  was  to  be  his  wife.  He  had  yet  to  ask 
her  the  question  and  that  was  the  question  he 
started  out  with,  every  time  he  watched  his 
father  drive  down  to  the  valley,  and  that  was  the 
question  he  always  brought  back,  unasked. 

What  was  it  that  had  so  overcome  his  determi- 
nation? Surely,  there  was  not  a  streak  of 
cowardice  in  him.  He  feared  nothing.  He  was 
prepared  to  face  any  kind  of  storm  for  he  had 


154       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

not  forgotten  Mother  Lee's  teaching  on  Fear. 
Yet  his  tongue  clung  to  the  roof  of  his  mouth 
whenever  he  stood  beside  her  or  walked  with  her 
along  the  tangled  banks  of  the  mountain  stream. 
It  was  then  he  did  not  want  to  talk.  He  wanted 
only  to  pour  forth  his  feelings  in  actions; — 
just  to  hold  her  in  his  arms;  just  to  kiss  her 
beautiful  face,  her  hair,  her  hands  which  were 
so  small  and  white. 

But  Fern,  to  the  contrary,  held  quite  a  differ- 
ent opinion  of  Forrest's  behaviour.  She  no- 
ticed that  he  no  longer  caught  her  hands  and 
playfully  helped  her  over  boulders.  He  was  so 
pensive.  He  never  talked  of  the  trees  nor  the 
sunsets,  nor  any  of  the  things  he  used  to  talk 
about ; — and  it  seemed  so  easy  for  her  to  drive 
a  smile  from  his  face  with  some  careless  phrase 
or  action.  But  she  believed  she  liked  him  best 
whenever  a  touch  of  sadness  crept  into  his 
features.  It  always  sank  deeper  into  her  young 
heart.  She  believed  she  liked  him  best  when  he 
was  serious — when  he  stood  before  her  with  his 
eyes  cast  down.  Somehow  she  felt  that  he,  at 
times,  was  a  part  of  herself. 

The  last  winter's  imprisonment  behind  snow 
banks  had  disclosed  many  revelations  in  life  to 
Fern,  who  had  spent  much  of  her  time  reading 
love  stories  in  books  and  magazines.  And  her 
serious  talks  with  Marie  about  engagements  and 
marriages  had  given  her  the  mind  of  a  woman. 
Day  after  day  before  the  fire-place,  she  had 


THE  SPIDER  AND  THE  LADY-BUG     155 

built  air-castles ;  dreamed  of  the  big  brown  boy 
and  what  the  following  summer  would  bring  to 
them — surely,  an  engagement  like  that  of  her 
sister's.  So,  when  the  snow-banks  had  melted 
away  and  had  brought  back  the  sunshine,  the 
forest,  and  its  love-nooks,  and  the  big  brown 
boy,  Fern  naturally  expected  some  encourage- 
ment on  his  part.  But  as  the  spring  wore  into 
summer  she  began  to  misunderstand  him.  She 
fancied  he  no  longer  cared  for  her.  Yet  why 
did  he  come  to  her?  Why  did  he  look  at  her 
with  that  expression  of  love  in  his  eyes?  Why 
did  he  linger  and  hesitate  before  her  at  their 
partings?  What  else  could  she  do  except  to 
wait  for  his  coming  and  wonder  why  all  the 
"whys"  continued. 

As  Old  Dave  sat  blankly  jolting  on  his  load 
of  ties  as  he  drove  down  the  picturesque  moun- 
tain road,  never  hearing  nor  seeing  the  rushing 
and  noisy  clear  waters  of  the  creek  that  followed 
all  the  way  down  like  a  playful  companion, 
Forrest  and  Fern  entered  one  of  their  favourite 
haunts,  the  Seventh  Trail.  An  occasional  sun- 
beam greeted  them  as  they  wandered  along  the 
path  of  witchery  which  led  them  to  various 
nooks.  They  sauntered  along,  sometimes  side 
by  side,  sometimes  Forrest  in  the  lead. 

Fern's  bright  eyes  expressed  keen  delight  as 
she  fully  depended  on  Forrest  for  every  move 
and  turn  they  made. 

lUpon  the  moss-covered  rock,  the  omen  of 


156       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

Forrest's  fear,  Fern  perched  herself  and  poised 
her  head  until  her  tempting  lips  almost  touched 
hfs.  For  once  he  was  powerless  to  fight  off  the 
spell  that  instantaneously  maddened  his  young 
brain.  Without  warning  or  permission  he 
kissed  her.  Her  blue  eyes  opened  with  surprise 
and  flashed  resentment  as  she  sprang  down 
from  the  moss-covered  rock.  Forrest  shame- 
fully covered  his  face  with  his  hands  and  stood 
embarrassed,  so  long  that  Fern  finally  said : 

"Well,  don't  you  think  we'd  better  go?" — 
still  slightly  offended  at  the  deliberate  way  he 
went  about  kissing  her. 

"I  want  to  apologise,  Miss  Fern.  I'm  sorry 
I  lost  control  of  myself." 

"I'll  forgive  you,  but  don't  you  ever  dare  do 
that  again." 

They  wandered  up  and  down  trails,  some  of 
which  led  to  parts  of  the  forest  they  had  never 
visited  before.  At  last  they  grew  tired  and 
stopped  to  rest  beside  a  tiny  stream  which 
flowed  from  an  icy  spring  that  bubbled  from  be- 
neath a  boulder.  Its  course  was  almost  hidden 
among  the  long  grasses.  With  its  frail  but  per- 
sistent force,  it  had  furrowed  a  narrow  channel 
and  because  of  its  lasting  patience,  time  alone 
had  contributed  a  bed  of  pebbles  over  which  it 
flowed.  It  was  so  narrow  that  Fern  could  have 
bridged  it  with  her  hand,  and  so  shallow  that  she 
found  pleasure  peering  into  its  wee  depths  to 
catch  a  glimpse  of  the  little  coloured  stones  that 


THE  SPIDER  AND  THE  LADY-BUG     157 

glared  at  the  offending  sunlight  as  they  stum- 
bled along  in  their  stubborn  resistance. 

Forrest  and  Fern  unconsciously  began  watch- 
ing a  lady-bug  descend  from  her  lofty  home  in 
the  tree  bark  to  sip  at  the  water 's  edge  and  then 
skip  lightly  across  its  rippling  surface  to  the 
tall  grass  on  the  opposite  side.  They  likewise 
watched  her  neighbour,  a  big  black  spider, 
descend  on  his  silken  thread  from  his  dwelling 
in  a  wild  rosebush  to  the  tiny  stream  to  play 
at  his  old  game  of  skipping  up  the  rippling  sur- 
face and  resting  on  his  oars  and  floating  down 
again.  A  dozen  times  or  more  he  made  the  tiny 
trip,  then  suddenly  he  leaped  upward  and  the 
next  instant  the  fair  lady-bug  was  wriggling 
in  his  grasp.  After  the  struggle  had  subsided 
he  started  up  a  long  blade  of  grass  to  his  castle 
in  the  rosebush. 

"Poor,  harmless  little  lady-bug, "  whispered 
Forrest.  "How  it  fought  for  its  freedom!'* 

"But  see!"  cried  Fern,  pointing  to  the 
spider's  home.  "See  what  a  beautiful  castle 
it  will  have  to  live  in.  Much  nicer  than  the 
rough  tree  bark." 

Forrest  shuddered  as  he  contrasted  his  be- 
haviour toward  Fern  a  little  while  before  with 
that  of  the  big  black  spider  and  the  lady-bug. 

"It's  only  beautiful  to  look  at,  Miss  Fern,  for 
deep  within  that  web  are  the  remains  of  many 
unfortunate  lady-bugs.  This  one  is  being 
dragged  against  its  will  to  that  spider's  home. 


158       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

Its  frail  body  will  be  devoured  because  it  was  not 
given  the  strength  to  defend  itself  against  its 
powerful  enemy." 

"Why  are  not  the  strong  given  the  power  to 
protect  instead  of  the  power  to  destroy?" — and 
adding  thoughtfully:  "Like  you  protect  me, 
Forrest." 

Forrest  hung  his  head  and  his  cheeks  burned 
with  shame. 

Fern  seized  a  long  branch  and  with  one  down- 
ward stroke,  swept  away  the  beautiful  castle  in 
the  rosebush. 

For  a  long  time  they  patiently  watched.  At 
last  Fern  aroused  Forrest,  saying: 

"I  hope  something  has  happened  to  him.  He 
was  so  cruel." 

Then  almost  instantly,  forgetting  her  last  re- 
mark, she  added:  "Do  you  know,  Forrest, 
when  first  I  saw  that  spider  he  reminded  me  of 
you  because  he  was  so  big  and  strong.  It  was 
no  more  trouble  for  him  to  carry  that  lady-bug 
than  it  would  be  for  you  to  carry  me.  But  now 
that  I  know  he  is  so  cruel  I  don't  think  that  he 
is  a  bit  like  you.  You  could  never  be  cruel  like 
that  spider,  even  if  you  were  he  and  I  were  the 
lady-bug." 

Forrest  did  not  answer  promptly.  After  a 
moment's  reflection  he  said: 

"Would  it  not  be  better  for  us  to  part  for 
awhile — better  for  us  both?" 


THE  SPIDER  AND  THE  LADY-BUG     159 

He  saw  that  she  did  not  comprehend,  so  he 
quickly  added : 

"I'm  older  than  you,  Miss  Fern.  I  know  of 
certain  dangers  that  you  perhaps  do  not.  We 
must  not  meet  alone  in  the  forest  again.  Some 
day — when — I  can  ask  you — " 

A  prolonged  silence  caused  Fern  to  follow  his 
gaze  into  the  tiny  stream. 

Suddenly  Forrest  aroused  himself. 

"Nothing  is  the  same.  We  are  no  longer 
children." 

His  voice  choked. 

A  strange  impulse  caused  Fern  to  search  his 
eyes,  but  something  in  their  expression  kept  her 
silent,  and  she  sat  in  a  gloomy  mood,  idly  watch- 
ing him. 

He  began  to  arrange  the  wild  flowers  into  a 
star,  but  when  his  design  was  finished  the  star 
was  imbedded  in  the  centre  of  a  heart. 

As  Fern  took  it  from  his  extended  hand  she 
held  it  up  with  a  feeling  of  disappointment. 

* '  You  haven 't  used  the  prettiest  ones.  Look ! 
There  are  only  two  kinds  here." 

There  was  a  touch  of  pathos  in  Forrest  'a 
voice  as  he  answered: 

"When  I  began,  Miss  Fern,  the  sky  was  blue, 
the  same  shade  as  the  larkspur  in  the  star.  But 
now  the  sky  bleeds,  like  these  little  flowers,  re- 
sembling a  bleeding  heart. ' ' 

As  he  spoke  he  raised  his  brown  face  to  where 


160       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

the  setting  sun  had  sunk  behind  a  crest  of 
clouds  and  dyed  them  scarlet.  Without  follow- 
ing his  gaze  Fern  laughed  a  little  mischievously 
and  said: 

"I  can't  see  the  bleeding  heart  in  the  sky, 
Forrest,  but  I  can  see  it  in  your  eyes." 

Her  innocent  words  startled  him  and  brought 
his  gaze  straight  into  her  eyes. 

"Can  you?  Then  you  will  know  how  hard 
it  will  be  for  me  to  watch  the  sunset  until  my 
prison  sentence  is  over  and  I  can  come  back  to 
you.'* 

She  looked  at  him  uncomprehendingly. 

He  caught  her  hands: 

"Do  you  care  for  me  after  what  I  did  this 
afternoon  ? ' ' 

"I  love  you  Forrest,  so  I  can't  blame  you." 

Her  words  came  so  swiftly  from  her  lips  that 
she  blushed. 

Forrest  earnestly  continued : 

"If  I  stay  away  and  build  a  home  here  in  the 
forest  as  beautiful  as  you  thought  the  big  black 
spider's  was,  will  you  come  and  share  it  with 
me?  Will  you  be  my  wife?" 

"Yes.  But  you  will  not  have  to  stay  away, 
will  you?*' 

"That  is  what  I  intend  doing.  I'm  never 
coming  into  your  presence  again  until — until  I 
atone  for  my  misbehaviour  this  afternoon." 

Something  in  his  firm  decision  held  her  silent. 
They  were  both  silent.  The  silence  between 


THE  SPIDER  AND  THE  LADY-BUG     161 

them  grew  awkward.  They  arose  and  started 
on.  Several  times  their  eyes  met,  but  neither  of 
them  tried  to  speak.  Her  heart  was  constantly 
urging  her  to  say  something,  yet  she  could  find 
no  words  to  express  her  feelings.  Side  by  side 
they  journeyed  on  until  the  trail  narrowed  down, 
then  Forrest  led  the  way  and  she  followed  close 
at  his  heels.  Again  they  reached  the  moss-cov- 
ered rock  which  divided  the  trail,  one  branch 
leading  through  a  dense  thicket,  the  other  to  her 
home.  Still  silent,  as  Forrest  led  her  to  the  en- 
trance of  her  father's  grounds,  they  gazed  at 
the  lead  coloured  sky.  Seemingly,  they  had 
been  warned  of  the  lateness  of  the  hour,  for 
Forrest  turned  suddenly  and  held  out  his  hand 
— a  movement  Fern  knew  so  well.  It  was  his 
way  of  bidding  her  good  night. 

"It  will  take  four  years  to  do  all  that  I  want 
to  do  before  we  can  marry.  In  four  years  from 
to-day,  I  shall  be  at  the  moss-covered  rock  wait- 
ing for  you.  I  know  I  shall  be  there,  because  I 
am  not  going  to  fail  in  my  purpose." 

"Four  years!  That  seems  so  very,  very  far 
away,"  softly  spoke  Fern. 

"It  must  be  so,  otherwise  I'd  be  a  failure  in 
your  eyes  as  well  as  in  Mother  Lee's." 

He  paused  as  Mother  Lee's  words  flashed 
across  his  mind. 

"  'The  God-farmer  has  made  you  big  and 
strong,  Forrest,  to  do  big  things ! '  —then  again 
— "We  must  act  just  like  the  people  in  Mother 


162       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

Lee's  fairy  stories.  I'll  be  the  knight  to  ride 
away  on  my  steed  and  find  a  castle  for  my  princ- 
ess, and  then  I  shall  ride  back  in  triumph  and 
take  her  home  as  my  queen." 

A  pleasing  smile  burst  through  Fern's  tears 
as  Forrest  spoke  while  caressing  her  hand. 

' '  Of  course  we  will  send  our  thoughts  to  meet 
here  in  the  forest  but  you  must  stay  home  with 
your  mother  and  learn — well,  what  a  girl  should 
know  and  I  must  stick  to  Pop  and  work  and 
be  a  man.  Until  then — four  years  from  to-day 
at  sunrise,  I  shall  return,  and  if  the  God-farmer 
has  not  mismated  his  seeds  we  shall  meet  to 
marry  and  never  part  again.  Good-by  until 
then.  Good-by — I  shall  come." 

Fern's  hands  fell  limply  from  his  grasp  and 
Forrest  turned  and  like  a  young  frightened  deer 
leaped  through  the  underbrush  and  was  gone. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

MOTHEB  LEE'S  NEST  BUTLDEKS 

THE  twilight  found  Old  Dave  puffing 
automatically  at  his  pipe  beside  the 
door  of  his  cabin — his  chair  tilted 
back  and  his  head  resting  lazily  on  a 
protruding  log.    His  brain  was  a  blank  as  usual. 
He  only  knew  that  he  shared  the  cabin  with  his 
son  and  that  was  all  there  was  to  it. 

But  Forrest,  a  counterpart  of  his  father  in 
physique,  was  a  magnet  of  thinking,  planning, 
scheming,  in  the  pure  and  perfect  coherence 
of  Mother  Lee's  training.  He  had  given  him- 
self four  years  to  accomplish  a  purpose  and  that 
purpose  was  to  build  an  ideal  home  and  to 
bring  to  that  home  the  little  girl  of  smiles  and 
pretty  sayings.  He  had  decided  upon  a  spot. 
It  was  on  his  father's  land.  During  the  day- 
time while  he  worked  with  his  father  he  selected 
choice  logs  and  granite  rocks  and  laid  them  aside 
until  the  day's  work  was  done.  He  then  car- 
ried them  on  his  strong  shoulders  to  the  place  of 
his  sacred  dream. 
His  father  often  looked  on  indifferently  but 

163 


164       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

never  asked  what  his  son's  intentions  were,  not 
even  when  he  saw  the  foundation  looming  up 
on  the  top  of  a  round,  smooth  knoll — a  founda- 
tion which  had  taken  Forrest  the  greater  part 
of  the  summer  to  construct. 

Forrest  continued  however,  keeping  his  ideas 
secretly  within  his  breast,  but  he  found  some  of 
his  work  impossible  to  perform  for  the  want 
of  proper  tools,  so  he  went  down  from  the  moun- 
tains to  pour  out  his  plans  and  his  grievances 
to  Mother  Lee. 

"  Necessity  is  the  mother  of  invention.  Go 
fetch  Ward's  catalogue  and  we'll  look  it  over. 
If  them  tools  don't  cost  too  much,  we'll  just  send 
away  for  them." 

Forrest  brought  the  catalogue  and  together 
they  looked  over  the  illustrations,  but  the  prices 
were  beyond  their  limited  means,  and  Forrest 
said: 

"I  could  make  that  one,  myself,  if  I  had  the 
steel." 

' '  There 's  lots  of  steel  along  the  railroad  track, 
and  those  timber  spikes  make  dandy  chisels," 
spoke  up  one  of  the  younger  boys. 

"That's  a  bully  suggestion.  All  I'll  need  to 
buy  then,  will  be  a  few  good  knives,"  added 
Forrest,  thoughtfully. 

"You  write  your  letter  to  Ward  and  I'll 
rob  the  match  can,"  Mother  Lee  answered  cheer- 
fully. 

Forrest's  face,  still  boyish,  lit  up  with  a  smile 


MOTHER  LEE'S  NEST  BUILDERS     165 

of  satisfaction.  He  knew  that  Mother  Lee 
would  help  him.  It  was  not  within  him  to  ask 
any  favours  from  his  father.  Somehow  he 
could  never  get  acquainted  with  him,  as  much  as 
he  longed  to  do  so.  His  father  had  never  of- 
fered him  money.  In  fact  he  had  never  seen  his 
father  with  any. 

Old  Dave's  expenses  were  very  small.  The 
price  of  a  load  of  ties  kept  Forrest  and  him 
several  months  in  both  food  and  clothing.  He 
had  in  no  way  changed  his  mode  of  living.  He 
still  did  his  cooking.  The  only  difference  was, 
he  cooked  a  little  more  and  shoved  part  of  it 
onto  another  plate.  At  times  it  was  scanty  and 
Forrest's  young  and  vigorous  appetite  craved 
for  more  but  he  never  asked  for  it — simply  tight- 
ened his  leather  belt  and  convinced  himself  that 
he  was  satisfied. 

Sundays  and  week-days  were  alike  to  Old 
Dave  and  naturally  Forrest  believed  as  his  fa- 
ther believed,  so  he  took  advantage  of  the  day- 
light that  belonged  to  him,  and  worked  after 
hours  upon  his  home.  Three  hundred  and 
sixty-five  days,  and  four  times  that  amount  was 
the  extent  of  time  he  allotted  himself.  Many 
and  many  a  night  these  figures  blazed  in  his 
young  brain  while  he  lay  on  his  back  resting  and 
listening  to  the  deep  snores  of  his  father,  who 
always  fell  into  a  sound  sleep  as  soon  as  his 
head  touched  his  pillow. 

It  was  never  with  regret  that  he  thought  of 


166 

the  long  days  ahead  of  him,  but  with  a  calcula- 
tive  mind.  He  planned  to  work  on  the  exterior 
of  his  house  during  the  summer  months  and  on 
the  interior  during  the  winter.  So  when  winter 
again  flashed  its  chilly  garments  of  icy  snows, 
Forrest  was  always  found,  during  the  one  hour 
of  daylight  before  darkness  set  in,  carrying  some 
piece  of  furniture  that  had  been  built  from  one 
of  his  chosen  logs,  and  designed  partly  from 
illustrations  and  partly  from  ideas  of  his  own. 

Old  Dave,  when  the  nights  were  too  cold,  sat 
tilted  against  the  logs  on  the  inside  of  the  cabin. 
The  only  sound  that  disturbed  the  silence  was 
the  smacking  of  his  lips  as  he  puffed  his  pipe, 
and  the  cutting  and  scraping  of  Forrest's  knife 
on  some  block  of  wood. 

Forrest's  heart  swelled  with  delight  when 
he  had  finished  his  first  piece  of  carving.  He 
had  secretly  clipped  from  an  old  magazine  which 
little  Fern  had  unconsciously  carried  from  her 
home,  a  coloured  illustration  of  a  furnished 
house, — an  illustration  which  she  with  much  in- 
terest, pointed  out  to  him.  He  was  determined 
to  follow  out  every  detail  of  the  illustration. 
He  had  previously  shown  it  to  Mother  Lee  and 
she  felt  positive  that  he  could  duplicate  it.  But 
still  he  was  in  doubt.  He  explained  to  her  that 
he  did  not  know  how  he  was  going  to  duplicate 
the  draperies,  the  books,  the  china  and  the  rich 
carpets. 

Mother  Lee  was  positive  that  if  he  could  carve 


MOTHER  LEE'S  NEST  BUILDERS     167 

out  the  picture  frames  and  make  the  book  cases 
and  the  china  closet,  the  rest  would  come. 

" Where  there's  a  will  there's  a  way." 

Her  words  pleased  him  and  sent  him  back  up 
into  the  mountains  to  work  with  greater  en- 
thusiasm. 

After  Forrest  had  gone,  Mother  Lee  pon- 
dered over  his  predicament.  In  her  mind  she 
did  not  know  how  he  was  going  to  accomplish 
his  aim,  but  she  felt,  to  one  so  faithful  as  For- 
rest, all  things  would  come  and  that  nothing  was 
too  good. 

Often,  through  the  quiet  of  twilight,  she  sent 
a  prayer  up  among  those  dark,  shadowy  trees  to 
the  cabin  where  she  knew  Forrest  sat  diligently 
absorbed  in  his  most  sacred  task. 

"Hello!" — came  a  sweet,  girlish  voice  into 
the  kitchen. 

It  was  like  the  soft  sweet  voice  of  a  fright- 
ened child. 

Mother  Lee  glanced  up  quickly.  It  was  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  time  she  always  sat 
down  to  scrape  and  eat  an  apple. 

"Upon  my  soul!    Come  in,  girl!" 

The  screen  door  opened  quickly  and  Fern  with 
soiled  dress  and  streaks  of  charcoal  on  her  face, 
entered. 

"I  ran  away  for  a  little  while — I  walked  and 
walked — then  a  man  came  along  and  I  rode  on 
a  load  of  ties,  but  I  just  had  to  come — I  had 
to  see  you." 


Breathless  from  excitement  Fern  brushed  off 
her  dress  and  sat  down  and  waited  for  Mother 
Lee  to  speak. 

1  'See  me?    What  about?" 

Mother  Lee's  voice  was  so  encouraging  that 
Fern  broke  forth  enthus;astically. 

"It's  about  Forrest — I'm  so  lonesome.  He 
stays  away — we're  engaged — aren't  engaged 
people  allowed  to  see  each  other?  Why  does 
Forrest  stay  away  ?  What  is  he  building  on  that 
beautiful  little  hill?" 

"How  do  you  know  that  he  is  building?" 

Fern  flushed. 

"I've  been  watching  him,  every  day.  Oh,  he 
doesn't  know," — and  she  opened  wide  her  eyes 
to  better  express  her  meaning.  "He  never 
comes  to  see  me  any  more  but  I  go  to  see  him 
and  manage  to  get  close  enough  to  peep  at  him. 
What  is  he  building  on  that  hill?" 

"A  greenhouse  for  his  little  Fern,  where  she 
can  always  live;  and  he's  building  it  with  his 
own  hands.  He  wants  it  to  be  as  perfect  and 
as  beautiful  as  his  love  is  for  her." 

"Oh!  How  I  wish  I  could  help  him.  Don't 
you  think  that  if  I  go  to  him  he  will  let  me? " 

"No.  That  is  not  your  place.  Besides,  you 
would  rob  him  of  the  credit." 

Fern's  heavy  lashes  closed  over  her  eyes  and 
two  tears  rolled  down  her  flushed  cheeks. 

Mother  Lee's  active  mind  never  failed  to  ex- 
ert itself  when  the  subject  was  relevant  to  worh. 


MOTHER  LEE'S  NEST  BUILDERS     169 

The  illustration  which  Forrest  had  shown  her 
came  vividly  before  her  eyes,  and  she  spoke  up 
in  a  matter-of-fact  way. 

'  *  There 's  plenty  that  you  can  do.  Were  you 
taught  to  use  a  needle?" 

"Yes." 

1  'Well,  get  busy  and  do  the  woman's  part  of 
it.  Make  them  fancy  winder  curtains  and  all 
them  extra  things  that  is  out  of  a  man's  line  of 
work. ' ' 

Fern  sprang  to  her  feet  and  clapped  her  hands 
with  delight. 

'  *  Oh,  how  wonderful  you  are  to  think  of  that, " 
— and  she  rushed  toward  the  door. 

"How  are  you  going  to  get  back  home!" 

"I'll  run  all  the  way." 

"Up  hill?  Sit  down  and  wait  for  Bardoff. 
He'll  take  you  most  of  the  way." 

Mother  Lee  arose  and  resumed  her  work. 

"How's  the  altitude  agreeing  with  your  fa- 
ther?" 

* '  We  seldom  see  him.    He  lives  in  the  tower. ' ' 

"A  mighty  good  place  for  him.  Here  comes 
Bardoff.  Better  jump  out  and  catch  him." 

"Good-bye!" — called  back  Fern  as  she  ran. 

"Good-bye!"  answered  Mother  Lee,  who 
smiled  triumphantly.  She  saw  a  solution  of 
what  seemed  to  her,  a  short  while  before,  an  im- 
possibility— the  positive  completion  of  For- 
rest's undertaking,  and  she  said  to  Maud,  who 
stood  ironing  shirts : 


170      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

"It's  no  harm  to  put  that  extravagant  no- 
tion in  her  young  head  because  them  Dales  have 
plenty  of  money  and  it's  no  use  letting  it  get 
coated  with  verdigris." 


CHAPTER  XXII 

NIGHT'S  MAGIC  MELODIES 

OUT  in  the  hot  baked  fields,  the  second 
summer  on  the  new  ranch,  "  Prince  " 
Arthur  did  the  work  of  two  men. 
His  father  had  contracted  an  illness 
in  the  spring — an  illness  from  which  he  could 
never  recover,  and  it  was  firmly  decided  between 
father  and  son  that  it  would  be  better  to  keep 
the  news  from  Mother  Lee — and  much  better 
that  he  remain  on  the  ranch  rather  than  go 
into  town  and  give  her  all  that  extra  work. 

Mother  Lee  had  always  sent  out  what  was 
needed  and  " Prince"  Arthur  did  the  rest.  He 
worked  with  the  quiet  and  steadiness  of  his 
sturdy  nature,  and  the  young  healthy  blood  that 
surged  through  his  veins  gave  him  sufficient 
strength.  His  muscles  stood  out  and  his  hands 
became  calloused,  yet,  at  the  end  of  each  day, 
despite  the  heavy  drudgery,  he  never  neglected 
to  let  the  soft,  tender  strains  of  music  pour  from 
his  inner  soul.  When  his  work  was  done  and 
supper  was  over  "Prince"  Arthur  sat  at  his 
piano,  first  oiling  and  rubbing  his  hands  thor- 
oughly, then  far  into  the  night  his  music  floated 

171 


172      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

out  across  that  vast  open  country.  Those 
heavy,  beautiful  classics  of  Liszt,  Beethoven, 
Wagner,  and  other  great  masters  poured  forth 
like  magic,  so  wonderfully  well  were  they  exe- 
cuted by  the  large,  powerful  hands  of  the  farm 
boy,  but  they  failed  to  arouse  any  enthusiasm 
among  the  cold,  indifferent  ranchers  whose 
homes  the  music  too  often  penetrated.  To  the 
contrary,  the  ranchers  were  more  or  less  dis- 
turbed. 

"The  boy's  crazy!  He  spent  his  whole  last 
year's  saving  and  bought  that  cussed  piano  to 
hammer  like  mad," — said  one. 

"Perhaps  he  does  it  to  forget  that  his  father's 
dying,"  answered  another. 

When  finally  these  remarks  reached ' '  Prince ' ' 
Arthur's  ears,  a  satirical  smile  crossed  his  stern 
features. 

However,  there  was  a  warmth  and  comfort 
in  that  little  one  room  cabin  where  stood  an  old 
wooden  bed  upon  which  lay  the  stricken  father. 
The  piano  was  backed  up  against  the  foot  of 
the  bed  and  it  was  there  that  the  tall,  athletic 
son  sat  night  after  night  bent  almost  double  in 
his  eager  effort  to  master  music  far  beyond  him. 

The  purpose  in  his  young  mind  was  not  to  for- 
get that  his  father  was  dying,  but  to  please  him 
as  he  lay  there  drugged  beyond  all  feeling  of 
pain,  yet  conscious  enough  to  hear  and  enjoy 
the  music.  It  also  served  a  double  purpose,  for 
"Prince"  Arthur  received  a  great  deal  of  prac- 


NIGHT'S  MAGIC  MELODIES       173 

tice  and  it  saved  him  the  monotony  of  sitting 
idly  at  the  bedside,  which  was  to  him  next  to 
an  impossibility,  he  being  so  very  active. 

All  through  those  hot  days  in  the  wheat  fields, 
he  felt  a  soothing  consolation — Music!  The 
coming  of  the  evening  and  those  few  hours  at 
the  piano !  The  only  real  enjoyment  of  his  life ! 

This  dominating  consolation  kept  up  his  great 
strength,  and,  because  of  its  hypnotic  influence 
he  never  knew  he  worked;  never  knew  the  hot 
sun  poured  down  upon  him ;  never  knew  that  he 
only  half  ate  his  meals  and  slept  less  than  six 
hours  out  of  every  twenty-four. 

John  Wesley,  the  father,  lay  there,  never 
fully  realising  his  own  suffering.  He  slept  in 
the  daytime  so  that  his  son  could  go  out  in  the 
field  to  work.  He  lay  awake  the  greater  part 
of  the  night  that  he  might  visit  with  his  son — 
the  son  he  so  idolised;  that  he  might  hear  the 
music  which  carried  his  mind  back  over  his  past 
dissipated  life ;  a  life  he  had  forfeited  to  the  city 
barrooms  and  concert  halls  for  so  little  in  re- 
turn. The  one  thing  he  most  regretted  was  the 
separation  from  his  wife  and  family.  He,  the 
son  of  that  wonderful  teacher,  Mother  Lee ! 

He  did  not  let  "Prince"  Arthur  know,  as 
he  lay  there  in  that  semi-stupor,  the  battles 
of  regret  that  were  waging  within  his  sick  brain, 
nor  did  he  let  him  know  how  he  censured  his 
soul  and  inwardly  suffered,  realising  his  lost 
opportunities.  He  just  wore  a  smile  and  told 


174      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WOBLD 

him  nothing.  It  would  have  been  pitiful  to  have 
witnessed  his  idolisation  of  that  son,  "Prince" 
Arthur. 

"Lot  of  heavy  stuff,  boy.  My  hearing  is  not 
so  good." 

"Prince"  Arthur,  as  he  wiped  the  mutton  tal- 
low from  his  calloused  hands,  looked  keenly  at 
the  pale,  thin  face  on  the  bed. 

"You  haven't  eaten  your  supper  yet." 

"Haven't  any  appetite." 

"You  haven't  eaten,  to-day." 

The  father  did  not  answer  but  moistened  his 
parched  lips  with  his  tongue. 

"Better  drink  this  milk — hadn't  you?" 

"To-morrow," — and  the  father  smiled. 

"Prince"  Arthur  said  no  more  and  sat  down 
to  the  piano.  He  ran  his  fingers  up  and  down 
the  keyboard  in  a  little  scale  practice,  then 
drifted  into  the  Hungarian  Ehapsodies,  stum- 
bling like  a  tired  horse  over  a  rough  road,  yet 
to  the  layman's  ears  it  was  wonderfully  played. 
In  the  midst  of  it  he  stood  up,  walked  to  the  bed 
and  looked  at  the  sick  man. 

"Keep  it  up,  boy!    Why  did  you  stop ?" 

The  father's  voice  was  very  low. 

"Prince"  Arthur  understood.  He  returned 
and  leaped  into  thundering  scale  work.  From 
that  into  Mendelssohn's  Spring  Song  and 
drifted  along  for  several  hours  in  heart  throb- 
bing melodies  to  clashes  of  the  major  chords. 
He  arose  again  and  looked  abruptly  at  the  sick 


NIGHT'S  MAGIC  MELODIES       175 

man.  He  spoke  but  received  no  answer.  He 
took  up  a  lantern  from  a  box  beside  the  piano 
and  held  it  close  to  his  father's  face.  Satisfied 
that  he  was  asleep,  " Prince"  Arthur  moved 
everything  necessary  for  the  sick  man's  comfort 
close  to  the  bedside,  and,  after  turning  the  light 
still  lower,  hung  the  lantern  on  the  wall  of  the 
cabin  and  crawled  into  a  bunk. 

Mother  Lee  knew  nothing  of  the  real  situation 
at  the  ranch  until  after  the  wheat  had  been 
thrashed  and  sold  to  the  mills  and  " Prince" 
Arthur  had  brought  in  the  last  load  of  alfalfa. 
Several  hogs  had  been  sold  to  the  butcher,  and 
the  potatoes  and  winter  vegetables  had  been 
gathered  and  put  into  Mother  Lee 's  cellar. 

"Nothing  left  on  the  ranch,  of  importance,  ex- 
cept dad  and  the  piano." 

"Well,  when  do  they  come  in?" — smiled 
Mother  Lee  as  she  looked  over  her  glasses. 

"Don't  know," — was  "Prince"  Arthur's 
quick  response,  as  he  hurried  out  of  the  kitchen. 

"What  ails  that  boy!" — stepping  to  the  door 
and  looking  after  him.  "Maybe  he  didn't  get 
much  out  of  the  ranch  this  year.  No — it's  not 
money.  It's  something  else.  I've  a  hunch  that 
something  serious  has  happened  or  is  going  to 
happen." 

She  seemed  to  be  talking  more  to  herself  than 
to  a  small  boy  who  stood  beside  her.  Later  in 
the  evening  she  said  aloud: 

"If  that  ranch  wasn't  so  far  I'd—" 


176       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WOBLD 

She  did  not  finish  her  sentence  but  stood  in 
the  middle  of  the  kitchen  with  her  eyes  squinted 
in  thought. 

*  *  That  boy  hasn't  said  a  word  about  his  father 
for  some  time.  I  feel  it  in  my  bones  that  some- 
thing has  gone  wrong. ' ' 

Mother  Lee  knew  that  her  youngest  son  was 
ailing ;  knew  that  he  had  the  incurable  Bright 's 
disease.  It  did  not  take  her  long  to  determine 
the  true  situation.  She  knew  that  the  father 
and  the  son  were  of  the  same  calibre.  She  knew 
that  they  kept  their  burdens  and  complaints  to 
themselves,  and  she  knew  that  the  only  way  she 
would  learn  the  truth  was  to  send  some  one 
out  to  the  ranch  or  go  there  herself. 

1  'Are  you  going  to  the  hills  to-night,  Hank!" 

"Yep." 

"Are  you,  Frank?" 

f  1 1  'm  going  with  Hank. ' ' 

The  two  passed  on  into  the  dining  room. 

Her  oldest  son,  Dakota,  came  in. 

"I'm  worried  about  Wesley.  Are  you  too 
busy  to  take  a  trip  out  to  his  ranch? " 

"Oh,  you're  always  worrying  about  some- 
thing. His  son's  with  him,  ain't  he!  No,  I  ain't 
got  no  time." 

He,  too,  took  his  plate  and  passed  into  the 
dining  room. 

"There's  *  Sweet  William'  out  there.  Maybe 
he  will  go  for  you," — spoke  Paul,  a  boy  of 
eleven,  Mother  Lee's  newly  adopted  companion. 


NIGHT'S  MAGIC  MELODIES       177 

She  looked  out  of  the  window  to  the  wood-pile. 

"No.    He'd  get  lost  and  freeze  to  death." 

"I  can  go  for  you.    I  can  ride  Babe. " 

Mother  Lee  looked  at  Paul  as  if  she  were 
about  to  sanction  his  offer,  then  shook  her  head. 

"No,"  she  answered,  and  went  on  with  her 
work. 

As  the  last  trace  of  twilight  disappeared, 
Mother  Lee  stood  on  the  porch.  Most  of  her 
work  was  finished  for  the  day  and  she  seemed  de- 
bating whether  to  continue  or  take  a  trip  to  the 
ranch,  herself. 

Paul  stood  close  beside  her.  He  seemed  to 
know  that  the  trip  would  be  taken  and  he  wanted 
to  be  in  on  it,  if  possible. 

"Oh,  look!  The  moon!  It's  going  to  be  as 
bright  as  day. ' ' 

Mother  Lee  looked  over  the  ridge  beyond  the 
lowlands  and  saw  the  yellow  moon  four  times 
its  natural  size.  She  entered  the  kitchen  with- 
out speaking  and  put  two  younger  children  to 
bed,  the  babies  of  the  Hawkins  who  had  gone 
up  in  the  mountains  to  make  some  improvements 
on  their  timber  claim. 

"Shall  I  hook  up  Babe?"  asked  Paul. 

*  '  No.    Fetch  my  juliettes ! ' ' 

"Which?    The  newest  ones?" 

"No,  the  next." 

Paul  obeyed. 

' '  Now  fetch  my  heavy  skirt  and  go  easy  about 
it!" 


178      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

The  boy  rushed  on  tiptoes  to  a  closet  and 
after  much  pawing  among  the  heavy  coats  came 
forth  with  the  garment. 

Mother  Lee,  who  had  put  on  her  shoes,  began 
putting  the  skirt  on  over  her  house  dress. 

' '  Go  fetch  my  shawl ! ' ' 

Again  the  boy  flew  back  over  the  uncarpeted 
floor,  stumbled  against  a  bed  post  and  went 
sprawling.  The  children  awoke,  and  began  jab- 
bering and  Mother  Lee  appeared  in  the  doorway. 

"If  you  do  that  again,  I'll  put  you  to  bed.'* 

Paul,  a  little  shame-faced,  yet  with  a  pleading 
expression,  had  returned  with  a  man's  hat  and 
a  shawl. 

Mother  Lee  motioned  to  him  to  bring  a  lantern 
and  the  two  left  the  house.  The  only  sound  was 
the  grating  of  gravel  beneath  their  feet.  As 
Paul  swung  open  the  barn  door,  the  horses 
stirred  restlessly  within,  and  a  snort  of  indigna- 
tion came  from  Old  Babe  when  she  discovered 
that  she  was  to  be  the  victim. 

Mother  Lee  held  the  lantern  in  one  hand  above 
her  head  while  she  timidly  assisted  Paul  with 
the  other. 

Their  whispered  arguments  as  to  which  piece 
of  harness  went  on  first  provoked  a  thrill  of 
mystery  and  Babe,  sensitive  to  vibration,  be- 
gan trembling  and  snorting. 

"Better  fetch  her  out  in  the  yard  where  we 
can  get  at  her." 

The  boy  obeyed,  and  at  each  attempt  to  get  the 


NIGHT'S  MAGIC  MELODIES       179 

bit  in  Babe 's  mouth,  her  head  tossed  higher  and 
higher. 

Mother  Lee  grabbed  the  bridle  and  laboured 
until  her  arms  ached. 

"Stand  on  that  box  over  there!'*  she  com- 
manded. 

They  led  the  mare  to  the  side  of  the  box,  but 
Paul's  sudden  appearance  on  the  top  of  it  sent 
Babe  prancing  and  snorting  about  the  barnyard, 
Mother  Lee  still  hanging  on  to  the  halter. 

"Whoa,  you  heifer — What  ails  you?  Climb 
up  in  that  buckboard  and  I'll  lead  her  to  you." 

Paul  was  obedient.  He  held  the  bridle  in 
place  and  with  much  straining  and  grunting, 
succeeded  in  opening  Babe's  mouth  for  the  bit. 

After  another  effort  to  get  her  between  the 
shafts,  stubborn  Babe  was  finally  conquered. 

"Het  up,  Babe!" 

Mother  Lee's  voice  was  gentle  and  the  old 
grey  mare  trotted  out  into  the  main  road. 

Paul  held  the  lantern  while  Mother  Lee  loosely 
held  the  reins  and  Babe  trotted,  then  walked 
down  into  the  valley  below.  On  and  on  they 
crept  like  a  dot  on  that  wide  open  country.  The 
howling  of  coyotes  frightened  Paul  who  had 
spent  most  of  his  life  in  the  city. 

"Will  they  get  us?" 

"What?" 

"The  wolves." 

"Where's  the  wolves?" 

"I  don't  know,  but  can't  you  hear  them?" 


"No.  My  attention  is  on  this  blamed  mare. 
What  ails  her?  She  keeps  trying  to  go  that 
way.  Het  up,  Babe!" — giving  the  mare  a  free 
rein. 

With  a  wilful  start,  Babe  took  the  bit  between 
her  teeth  and  went  her  way. 

" There's  something  wrong.  I  think  she  sees 
water.*' 

"Can't  you  steer  her?  Let  me  try," — Paul 
having  had  one  experience  with  Babe  in  cross- 
ing the  Big  Thompson. 

"Keep  your  hands  off  them  lines!  If  she's 
going  to  lie  down,  I — " 

Mother  Lee  did  not  finish  her  sentence. 

"Is  that  water  ahead?" 

"No,  it's  the  road,"  answered  Paul. 

"The  what?" 

Mother  Lee  looked  back. 

"Well,  I'll  be  switched.  Babe  knows  more 
about  it  than  we  do. ' ' 

The  moon  came  out  from  behind  a  haze,  high 
and  bright,  and  the  rough  road  stretched  out 
before  them.  The  white,  alkali  beds  on  either 
side  glistened  like  snow,  and  the  silence  about 
them  was  like  a  hush  of  death. 

Babe  no  longer  trotted.  It  was  all  she  could 
do  to  make  her  way  along  the  boggy  road. 
Sometimes  she  stepped  into  holes  above  her 
hoofs,  and  the  gushing  sounds  kept  Mother  Lee 
ever  on  the  lookout  for  a  stream  of  water.  Babe 
once  more  gained  a  footing  on  dry  land  and 


NIGHT'S  MAGIC  MELODIES       181 

both  she  and  Mother  Lee  sighed  with  relief. 

* '  The  ranch  must  be  at  the  brow  of  that  hill, ' ' 
said  Mother  Lee  to  herself,  looking  ahead. 

At  the  top  they  stopped  and  looked  about  as 
Babe  panted  and  rested. 

Mother  Lee  fancied  she  heard  music. 

They  cocked  their  ears  to  listen. 

Paul  was  sure  he  heard  it. 

Babe  voluntarily  moved  on. 

A  little  farther  along  the  road,  a  stronger 
breeze  carried,  more  distinctly,  the  clear  notes  of 
a  piano. 

11  Strange!" — breathed  Mother  Lee. 

" What's  strange?" — and  Paul  expressed  un- 
easiness. He  had  more  than  once,  during  the 
trip,  wished  that  he  were  back  home  between 
the  blankets. 

'  *  That  music.  It  sounds  more  like  the  harps 
of  Angels." 

11  Maybe  it  is," — and  Paul  searched  the  skies. 

"It's  nigh  midnight.    Look  at  the  moon!" 

Paul  cuddled  closer  to  Mother  Lee.  The  word 
midnight  sent  chills  through  his  small  body. 

The  vibration  of  music  increased  and  Babe 
continued,  shying  now  and  then  at  some  trivial 
object  along  the  road  which  she  did  not  fancy. 
Suddenly  her  ears  shot  forward  and  she  began 
whinnying  as  she  quickened  her  pace. 

"Now  what  ails  her?" 

A  distant  whinny  responded  through  the  crisp 
night  air. 


182      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

"We're  near  the  ranch.  'Prince*  Arthur 
has  one  of  Babe's  colts." 

Around  the  bend  of  a  clump  of  cottonwoods 
they  saw  a  faint  light. 

"What  in  the  world  ails  that  boy — playing 
that  pianer  this  time  of  night?" 

Babe,  who  had  covered  the  last  mile  at  a  live- 
lier clip,  seemed  as  anxious  as  her  driver  to  in- 
vestigate the  meaning  of  it  all.  She  suddenly 
came  to  a  halt  at  the  big  gate. 

Paul  jumped  out  and  opened  it  and  like 
thieves  of  night,  Mother  Lee,  followed  closely  by 
the  boy  stole  up  to  the  cabin  and  looked  in.  At 
first  she  saw  nothing  unusual  about  the  man 
stretched  out  upon  the  bed — his  face  being 
shaded  from  the  direct  light  of  the  lantern — nor 
about  "Prince"  Arthur,  who  sat  doubled  over 
on  the  piano  stool  pounding  out  soulful  music 
from  the  white  keyboard.  But  as  she  stood 
there,  listening,  she  formed  an  excuse  for  the 
lateness  of  the  hour. 

His  great  love  of  music — his  father's  love  of 
it — their  summer's  work  finished!  They  were 
celebrating  the  event.  The  older  man,  not  so 
strong  that  evening,  had  gone  to  bed  that  he 
might  better  enjoy  his  son's  playing. 

Mother  Lee  nudged  Paul,  who  was  craning 
his  neck  to  see  over  the  window  ledge. 

"We'll  go  in,"  she  whispered. 

They  knocked  lightly  on  the  door  several 
times,  with  no  response. 


NIGHT'S  MAGIC  MELODIES       183 

"Has  that  boy  lost  his  hearing?" — she 
scolded  as  she  pushed  her  way  in,  only  to  start 
at  the  great  volume  of  music  that  burst  forth 
from  within.  She  walked  around  the  corner  of 
the  piano  which  had  hid  her  from  "Prince" 
Arthur's  view. 

He  looked  dazedly  at  her.  His  large  hands 
dropped  from  the  keys.  There  was  a  dead  si- 
lence. 

"Mother  Lee,"  he  muttered. 

"Yes,"  she  answered,  looking  toward  the  bed. 
"Doesn't  that  pianer  annoy  your  father  when 
he  is  sleeping?" 

"Prince"  Arthur  turned  his  back  more 
squarely  to  the  bed  and  did  not  answer. 

Mother  Lee  stared  at  him,  then  went  to  her 
son.  She  leaned  over  the  silent  man  and 
touched  his  face.  She  did  not  start  in  horror, 
but  quickly  looked  at  the  boy. 

"He's  dead!" 

Her  words  drove  "Prince"  Arthur  out  into 
the  night. 

She  did  not  call  him  back.  She  knew  his  grief 
had  over-powered  him.  She  moved  about  as  if 
she  wanted  to  work  but  did  not  know  how  to  be- 
gin. She  pulled  down  the  covering  over  the 
piano,  repiled  a  few  dishes  which  lay  on  the 
table. 

Paul,  all  eyes,  clung  close  to  her. 

"What  ails  you?" — feeling  that  she  must  say 
something  to  break  the  stillness. 


184       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WOKLD 

4 

"Go  fetch  'Prince'  Arthur  back!" 

"I'm  afraid." 

"Of  what?" 

Paul  pointed  toward  the  Ved. 

"  Afraid  of  the  de— " 

She  choked,  but  straighi-ened  up. 

1  *  This  is  no  time  for  fear.  We  are  alone  and 
must  do  our  duty." 

She  went  to  the  door  and  called  out : 

' '  Arthur,  if  you  have  any  common  sense  left, 
hook  up  a  team  and  drive  for  help ! ' ' 

She  closed  the  cabin  door.  She  knew  her 
words  had  been  heard  and  that  he  would  obey. 

She  made  coffee  and  drank  some — filled  up 
the  bowl  again  and  told  Paul  to  help  himself. 
She  crossed  the  room  to  the  bed  and  covered 
the  face  of  her  son.  Her  hands  trembled  but  no 
tears  came  to  her  eyes.  She  had  never  known 
weakness  but  a  deeper  and  more  heart  rending 
grief  ached  within.  Her  love  was  unfaltering 
for  all  who  entered  her  life,  yet  there  was  no 
external  power  to  portray  her  love  and  so  she 
forced  herself  to  look  upon  the  death  of  her 
son  as  if  he  had  just  gone  away. 

"A  journey  from  whence  no  traveller  re- 
turns. ' ' 

The  words  came  from  her  lips  with  a  sort  of 
satisfaction. 

"You  have  suffered,  my  son.  You  have  paid 
the  debt  for  the  destruction  of  that  which  God 
hath  given  you  so  perfect — health — " 


NIGHT'S  MAGIC  MELODIES       185 
She  paused,  then  added  in  a  lower  voice : 

"Round  is  the  world,  it  runs  on  wheels, 
Death  is  a  thing  that  everyone  feels. 
If  health  were  a  thing  that  money  could  buy 
The  rich  would   '-e  and  the  poor  would  die." 

She  looked  about  as  if  to  receive  an  answer, 
only  to  see  Paul  asleep  at  the  end  of  the  table. 
She  arose,  half  carried,  half  dragged  him  to  the 
opposite  bed,  covered  him  up  and  went  back  to 
await  the  return  of '  *  Prince ' '  Arthur. 

Daylight,  in  cold,  colourless  grey,  crept  in  to 
where  she  still  sat  nodding  in  a  hard,  straight- 
backed  chair,  very  near  the  bedside  of  her  dead 
son. 

She  shivered  a  little  and  drew  a  blanket  a 
little  more  closely  about  her  shoulders,  but  soon 
she  became  thoroughly  awakened  and  began  fix- 
ing the  fire.  She  made  a  fresh  pot  of  coffee 
and  at  sight  of ' '  Prince ' '  Arthur  returning  with 
several  ranchmen,  began  cooking  breakfast. 

With  grave  faces  they  slowly  wrapped  the 
body  in  blankets  and  carefully  placed  it  in  a 
wagon.  With  "Prince"  Arthur  at  the  lines, 
they  drove  to  town,  Mother  Lee  in  advance  in  the 
buckboard  with  Paul,  driving  Old  Babe. 

To  any  one  except  Mother  Lee,  it  would  have 
been  a  pathetic  sight  to  have  looked  back  at  the 
rough  lumber  wagon,  knowing  that  it  carried  the 
remains  of  a  dead  relative.  But  she  had  laid 
many  of  her  family  to  rest  in  the  little  clay 


186      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

cemetery  over  the  hill.  It  was  all  the  same  to 
her,  whether  a  relative  or  a  stranger,  so  long  as 
they  figured  some  way  in  her  life,  she  acted  as 
she  felt  she  should. 

" There's  no  place  for  a  weakling  in  time  of 
trouble.*' 

Her  son  had  to  be  buried  and  she  must  take 
the  initiative.  The  less  commotion  the  better 
she  felt  about  it. 

"Het  up,  Babe!  This  is  no  place  to  linger," 
— and  a  broken  whip  fell  firmly  down  upon  the 
old  grey's  back. 

Babe  gave  several  little  starts  then  slowed  to 
a  walk  as  Mother  Lee  drifted  into  another  trail 
of  dreams.  She  lived  over  the  youth  and  ad- 
ventures of  her  son,  her  own  boy,  whose  roving 
nature  had  been  beyond  her  understanding.  His 
early  years  spent  from  beneath  her  wings  had 
lost  her  the  opportunity  to  govern  his  life. 

"Now,  all's  over.  Now  he's  dead,  and  to 
think  I  named  him  John  Wesley. ' ' 


CHAPTER  XXIH 

BACK  IN   THE   HARNESS 

MOTHER  LEE  had  everybody  back 
in  "harness,"  as  she  termed  it, 
when  the  funeral  of  her  son  was 
over,    except    "Prince"    Arthur. 
He  had  moved  his  piano  into  Cottage  Home  but 
never  touched  it.    In  fact  no  one  was  interested 
enough  in  music  to  inspire  him.    He  soon  be- 
came restless.    He  often  went  in,  sat  down  at  the 
instrument  and  opened  it  with  every  intention 
of  playing.    The  next  instant  he  would  jump 
up,  close  the  piano  with  a  bang,  mutter  some- 
thing unintelligible  and  walk  out  of  the  house. 
"That  boy  is  a  chip  of  the  old  block,"  said 
Mother  Lee  one  day.    "He's  as  nervous  as  a 
hornet.    He  '11  warm  this  earth  before  he  '11  set- 
tle down." 

And  just  as  she  had  predicted,  "Prince" 
Arthur,  a  few  weeks  later,  secretly  sewed  his 
silver  savings  in  different  parts  of  his  clothing 
and  caught  a  night  freight  out  of  town  and  out 
of  her  life.  She  knew  he  was  going — knew 
nothing  could  stop  him.  But  she  felt  he  had 
one  advantage.  He  would  surely  abstain  from 

187 


188      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

alcoholic  drinks  which  had  been  the  cause  of  his 
father's  death.  She  smiled  sadly  whenever  she 
looked  at  his  piano,  with  its  canvas  cover  sewed 
down  just  as  he  had  left  it.  She  was  sure  he 
never  wanted  any  one  to  touch  it  and  no  one 
would,  while  she  kept  it  beneath  her  roof. 

"A  talent  lost,"  she  muttered. 

A  wave  of  loneliness  often  passed  over  her  as 
time  went  on.  "Prince"  Arthur  had  always 
been  very  dear  to  her.  He  had  never  expressed 
the  love  and  affection  that  Forrest  had,  yet 
there  was  that  blood  relation — the  son  of  her 
son.  But,  she  was  one  who  never  wasted  her 
time  over  bygones.  Her  mind  was  too  much  oc- 
cupied with  the  present.  To  her,  "  Homer  the 
Great,"  who  had  come  to  her  door  so  mysteri- 
ously, had  grown  into  a  beautiful  character.  In 
many  ways,  he  was  another  Forrest. 

His  first  visit  to  the  trappers  was  the  begin- 
ning of  his  new  life — and  an  honest  one,  too. 
That  was  her  first  consideration  of  him.  He 
made  his  home  with  the  trappers,  but  he  often 
stole  down  to  call  on  her  as  well  as  to  cast  a 
shy  glance  toward  Maud,  who,  with  pride,  wore 
several  medals  that  had  been  given  to  her  by  the 
town  bachelors  for  being  the  best  shirt  ironer 
in  the  community. 

Maud,  through  Mother  Lee's  suggestion,  was 
putting  away  her  money  for  a  trousseau  to  be 
used  as  soon  as  she  was  old  enough  to  marry 
somebody  who  would  be  willing  to  marry  her. 


BACK  IN  THE  HAENESS         189 

And  it  looked  very  much  to  Mother  Lee  as  if 
the  time  were  not  far  off. 

4 'Homer  the  Great "  was  very  much  in  ear- 
nest about  his  future.  He  had  become  a  clever 
trader  and  managed  to  get  more  money  for  his 
furs  than  any  of  the  other  trappers. 

" That's  because  he  has  an  object  in  life.  He 
wants  to  marry  you,  Maud,  and  I  think  you  had 
better  put  on  long  dresses  and  put  up  your 
hair." 

Maud  blushed,  but  was  thankful  for  the  sug- 
gestion, for  she  was  tired  of  hearing  the  one 
word  "legs"  called  after  her  wherever  she 
went. 

Mother  Lee  counted  over  the  shirt  money. 

"Four  dollars!  Go  up  to  Brunell's  and  get 
six  yards  of  woolen  goods!  Make  yourself  a 
long  dress.  If  there  isn't  enough  money  here, 
have  it  charged  on  my  old  bill." 

Maud  put  a  shawl  over  her  head  and  hurried 
out. 

Another  match  started  with  impending  assur- 
ance, settled  in  Mother  Lee 's  mind.  She  let  her 
thoughts  drift  to  Forrest  and  Fern.  She  had 
not  seen  either  of  them  for  some  time.  She 
knew,  however,  that  they  were  working  like  two 
little  beavers  for  the  most  important  event  in 
their  lives.  They  seemed  to  be  the  only  perfect 
emblems  of  youth,  in  man  and  woman,  that 
stood  firm  in  her  life's  category.  They  were 
just  what  her  inner  soul  wanted  the  vast  hu- 


190      THE  EDGE  OP  THE  WORLD 

inanity  to  be,  and  it  was  a  joy  to  her  to  feel  that 
God  had  given  her  that  pleasure — that  great, 
great  pleasure  of  witnessing  such  a  perfection 
in  life. 

She  thought  of  dozens  and  dozens  of  married 
couples  who  were  happily  mated  but  there 
seemed  to  be  something  about  Forrest  and  Fern 
more  spiritual  than  material — more  like  the  un- 
blighted  buds  of  Heaven.  And  her  one  prayer 
was  that  God  would  be  extremely  generous — 
that  some  day  He  would  bestow  a  gracious  bless- 
ing upon  her  by  just  letting  her  hold  a  child  in 
her  arms,  the  image  of  them  both. 

Old  Dave,  more  slovenly  than  ever,  entered 
the  kitchen  during  one  of  her  semi-dreams. 
She  looked  at  him  and  unconsciously  said : 
"How  true!    The  most  perfect  sprout  some- 
times comes  from  the  muck.    How's  Forrest!" 
"All  right,  fur's  I  know." 
"What's  he  doing?" 
"Working  alongside  me  most  the  time." 
"What's  he  building  on  top  of  the  hill?" 
"Durn'd  if  I  know — pig  pen,  maybe." 
Mother  Lee  felt  inclined  to  box  Old  Dave's 
ears  but  she  curbed  her  temper,  and  continued : 
"It's  a  new  house." 

"What  furl    Ain't  the  old  one  all  right?" 
"Perhaps.    But  how  near  finished  is  the  new 
•net" 

"Durn'd  if  I  know.    It's  got  a  roof,  and  all 
whacked  up  in  sections  inside." 


BACK  IN  THE  HAENESS          191 

'  *  Booms !    How  many  ? ' ' 

"Ain't  enough  to  house  all  them  pigs  he's 
got." 

"Well,  I  found  out  what  I  wanted  to  know. 
Forrest  has  that  house  nigh  finished." 

Old  Dave  looked  up  at  her  with  a  pair  of  dull 
eyes  which  peered  out  of  a  face  of  bushy,  snarly 
whiskers.  He  was  used  to  hearing  her  talk 
without  understanding  her  so  he  tossed  a  buB- 
dle  of  pine-cones  into  the  wood-box  and  without 
removing  his  hat  or  washing  the  charcoal  from 
his  hands,  took  his  plate  and  went  to  the  dining- 
room  where  sat  a  half  dozen  others,  just  a  little 
more  human. 

1 '  Something  ails  that  old  bunch  of  blankness. 
He's  staggering!" 

Mother  Lee  was  looking  out  of  the  window 
into  the  barn  yard. 

"He  didn't  eat  his  dinner," — she  continued. 

"Nope," — and  one  of  the  mountain  giants 
walked  out  of  the  kitchen,  mechanically,  climbed 
into  his  rough  wagon  and  drove  away. 

Mother  Lee  went  out  into  the  barn-yard,  a  lit- 
tle suspicious  that  Old  Dave  had  been  drinking. 

"What  ails  you? " — she  quickly  asked. 

"Don't  know — Dizzy." 

"Been  boozin'?" 

"Naw— " 

She  saw  at  a  glance  that  he  was  suffering. 

"Better  go  to  the  Drug  Store  and  see  the  doc- 
tor." 


192      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

"Naw—  " 

The  word  was  more  like  a  hateful  snarl  as  he 
pulled  himself  together  and  began  hitching  up 
his  team  to  his  old  lumber  rack. 

Mother  Lee  said  no  more  but  as  she  picked 
up  a  few  dry  corn-cobs  she  kept  her  eye  upon 
the  unsteady  movements  of  Old  Dave. 

''Better  stay  in  town  to-night  I" 

"Naw—" 

He  dragged  himself  upon  the  seat  and  with- 
out turning,  drove  away. 

As  she  watched  him  drive  out  of  the  yard,  she 
shook  her  head. 

"He'll  die  witkhis  boots  on." 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

THE   THUNDERBOLT 

FEEN  was  the  little  beaver  that  Mother 
Lee  had  called  her. 
She  spent  a  few  hours  each  day  in 
her  mother's  sun-room  where  she  cop- 
ied the  perfect  stitches  of  her  mother's  needle. 
Like  Forrest,  Fern  took  many  ideas  from 
magazine  illustrations  and  her  little  treasures 
began  to  multiply.    Table  linens  of  the  finest 
quality  for  which  Mrs.  Dale  had  secretly  sent 
away  but  had  laughingly  said,  "Come  from  the 
skies,"  Fern  daintily  hemstitched  and  mono- 
grammed.     She  designed  draperies   of  heavy 
silk,  and  embroidered  Grecian  figures,  birds,  and 
butterflies  with  gold  thread  and  delicate  floss. 
Sofa-pillows,  she  filled  with  wild  rose  petals. 
She  bordered  the  rich  Brusseled  net  curtains 
with  a  crocheted  web  of  Irish  lace. 

When  Forrest  was  at  work  felling  trees  she 
stole  timidly  to  the  little  house  on  the  hill  and 
with  sparkling  eyes  and  panting  breath,  went 
from  room  to  room  selecting  shades  that  she 
thought  were  most  suitable.  Taking. the  mea- 
surement for  each  hanging  drapery,  she  would 

193 


194      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

steal  back  through  the  rich,  cool,  perfumed 
forest  to  her  own  room  to  again  delve  into  her 
earnest  and  pleasing  work. 

Many  times  the  sad  mother  looked  down  at 
her  beautiful  daughter  and  thought  of  a  flower 
almost  too  precious  to  last — so  delicate,  so  ten- 
der, so  sweet,  so  earnest  and  so  lovable. 

"  As  long  as  she  lives  not  a  shadow  must  pass 
over  her  young  life ! ' ' — was  always  her  final  de- 
cision. 

" Don't  you  ever  get  tired,  little  Fern!"  she 
asked  her  daughter  one  day. 

"Oh,  no,  I  couldn't  when  I  see  that  dear  little 
home  Forrest  is  building.  How  I  wish,  dear 
mother,  that  you  could  come  and  peep  at  it  with 
me." 

"Forrest  is  a  lovely  boy  and  I  hope  that  I 
shall  live  to  see  you  both  happily  married." 

* '  Oh,  you  darling ! ' ' 

Fern  dropped  her  work  and  crossed  to  her 
mother. 

"You  shall  share  many,  many  days  of  my 
pleasure." 

After  kissing  her  affectionately  she  went  back 
to  her  work.  Holding  up  a  small  dainty  blue 
comforter  of  soft  silk,  she  said : 

"This  is  for  the  little  room — the  little  strang- 
er's room,  who,  Mother  Lee  says,  may  come 
along  and  join  our  home." 

Mrs.  Dale  laughed  at  the  frank  simplicity  of 
her  daughter  and  answered: 


THE  THUNDERBOLT  195 

"It  will  surely  match  his  eyes." 

"Blue!  Oh,  I  should  rather  they  would  be 
brown," — smiled  back  the  daughter  in  a  play- 
ful pout. 

There  was  a  quick  exchange  of  warning  ges- 
tures and  the  secret  work  was  promptly  con- 
cealed. 

Marie  entered  the  room.  She  was  more  of 
the  stern,  cold  type  of  her  father — a  person  of 
importance.  She  flourished  a  large  diamond 
engagement  ring.  Her  marriage  was  to  take 
place  soon,  but  her  trousseau  had  to  be  made 
abroad,  and  her  home  in  the  East  had  to  be  fin- 
ished and  ready  for  occupation,  before  the  wed- 
ding. She  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  such 
trivials  as  hemstitching  and  hand-embroidering. 
She  laughed  at  the  very  idea  of  it.  That  was 
why  the  tiny  blue  comforter  was  concealed. 

Keeping  her  plans  from  her  sister  was  an 
easy  matter  for  Fern,  but  sometimes  she  felt 
it  was  not  fair  to  Forrest  that  she  should  know 
all  his  secret  and  he  know  nothing  of  hers. 

Mother  Lee,  however,  thought  it  was  just  the 
"proper  caper."  When  the  time  came,  a  little 
Fairy  God  could  happen  along  during  Forrest's 
absence  and  by  adjusting  things  properly,  a  tired 
and  gloomy  heart  could  be  made  very  happy. 
She  also  told  Fern  how  much  Forrest  fretted 
about  the  furnishings  of  that  little  "Castle." 

For  several  weeks  Forrest  had  his  mind  set 
on  a  large  pine  tree — the  largest  he  had  seen. 


196      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

He  tried  to  persuade  his  father  to  cut  it  down 
but  Old  Dave  thought  there  was  too  much  work 
attached  to  it — besides  it  was  no  good  for  ties. 

But  Forrest  had  been  working  on  a  dining- 
room  set  and  the  base  of  that  tree  was  exactly 
the  size  of  the  table  top  he  had  planned.  He 
could  use  it  solid  and  carve  some  legs  for  it. 
Mother  Lee  told  him  one  day,  to  keep  on  want- 
ing it,  and  something  would  surely  happen  that 
would  gratify  his  wish. 

And  it  came  to  pass  as  Mother  Lee  had  pre- 
dicted. One  morning,  after  an  electric  storm 
had  partly  uprooted  the  forest  during  the  night, 
Old  Dave  and  his  son  made  their  way  among  the 
thick  pine  trees. 

"Here's  your  dum'd  ole  tree,  down," — indif- 
ferently called  Old  Dave. 

A  thrill  of  joy  flashed  over  Forrest  and  he 
could  scarcely  wait  for  the  day  to  pass.  That 
evening  he  sawed  out  a  portion  of  the  tree,  and 
found  it  to  be  just  what  he  wanted.  The  grain 
was  perfect. 

Several  weeks  later  his  table  was  complete 
and  he  stood  admiring  it.  Old  Dave  who  hap- 
pened to  come  along,  stopped  to  scrutinize  it. 

"What's  it  furl"  ' 

"A  table  for  the  dining-room." 

"Huh!" — and  he  went  on  into  the  cabin  for 
the  night. 

But  quite  a  different  pair  of  eyes  viewed  it  the 
next  day — a  pair  of  laughing  blue  eyes  filled 


THE  THUNDERBOLT  197 

with  pride  and  admiration.  The  next  instant 
a  tape  measure  went  flying  across  the  top. 

"  What  a  beautiful  doily  I  must  make  to  orna- 
ment such  a  marvelous  piece  of  work,"  cried 
Fern  as  she  rushed  home  with  more  news  for 
her  mother 's  waiting  ears. 

Much  calculation  followed.  Nothing  from  the 
illustrated  catalogue  was  good  enough,  so  the 
greater  part  of  the  night  Fern  lay  awake,  plan- 
ning something  original.  At  last  an  idea  came 
to  her  and  she  could  hardly  wait  until  morn- 
ing, to  hegin  her  work. 

Mrs.  Dale  praised  her  daughter's  idea  and 
patiently  watched  her  at  work.  She  never  told 
Fern,  although  she  wanted  to  many  times,  what 
a  pleasure  it  was,  to  have  her  lonely  mornings 
filled  with  such  a  sunny,  cheerful  companion. 

While  mother  and  daughter  were  deeply  en- 
grossed in  a  new  piece  of  needlework,  a  scream 
brought  them  to  their  feet. 

Marie  rushed  in,  white  as  death,  and  stam- 
mered something  unintelligible  about  her  father. 

Mrs.  Dale  tottered  toward  the  door  as  Fern 
rushed  past,  calling  out : 

" Where  is  he?" 

"In  his  tower,"  cried  Marie  between  her  sobs. 

Fern  waited  for  no  more,  but  hurried  up  the 
winding  stairs  and  stood  excitedly  in  the  door- 
way. She  did  not  know  what  had  happened  un- 
til the  housekeeper,  who  had  followed  her, 
rushed  to  the  side  of  Mr.  Dale  and  said: 


198       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

"He's  dead." 

Fern  could  not  believe  it,  for  he  sat  erect,  with 
one  hand  across  his  half  written  sheet  of  paper. 
The  floor  was  white  with  scattered  manuscript. 
She  did  not  wait  to  investigate,  but  hurried 
down  the  stairs  with  but  one  thought  in  her  mind 
— she  must  bear  up  and  look  after  her  mother 
and  Marie.  She  found  them  clasped  in  each 
other's  arms,  weeping.  She,  too,  began  to  cry, 
not  because  of  her  own  grief,  so  much  as  that  of 
her  mother's  and  sister's. 

They  had  gone  through  many  years  of  tribu- 
lations with  their  father.  His  selfish  eccentrici- 
ties had  given  them  much  distress.  It  seemed 
as  if  they  had  lived  only  to  yield  to  his  whimsi- 
cal moods.  That  was  why  Marie  had  sought  an 
early  engagement,  having  lost  all  patience  with 
her  hum-drum  life.  She  had  fretted  a  little  over 
her  mother's  welfare  until  Fern  became  en- 
gaged to  Forrest.  That  settled  all  difficulties. 
She  was  quite  satisfied  that  Fern  was  old  enough 
to  look  after  the  comfort  of  their  mother,  whose 
health  would  be  far  better  there  in  the  moun- 
tains than  in  a  noisy  city.  Her  father  was  the 
least  of  her  troubles. 

"He  could  live  in  his  tower  as  long  as  he 
liked" — she  often  repeated  to  her  mother — 
* '  and  sing  his  blank  verse  to  the  pines.  *  They  '11 
have  more  consideration  for  them  than  the  out- 
side world'  " — finishing  her  remarks  by  quot- 
ing her  father. 


THE  THUNDERBOLT  199 

Mrs.  Dale  attempted  to  alter  her  daughter's 
way  of  thinking,  but  it  was  useless.  Marie  had 
a  mind  of  her  own,  and,  like  her  father,  intended 
to  use  it  to  suit  herself. 

But  the  one  thing  had  happened  that  they 
least  expected.  They  were  at  a  loss  what  to 
do.  They  simply  stared  at  one  another  and  re- 
mained shut  up  in  the  sun  room,  made  dark  by 
heavy  blinds,  while  the  two  servants  took  charge 
of  the  funeral  of  the  little  headstrong  man  whose 
neck  Mother  Lee  had  more  than  once  wanted  to 
wring. 

"Maybe  the  angels  will  have  more  patience 
with  him  than  I  had/'  said  she,  when  she  heard 
the  news. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

THE   HOURS   THEY   WATCHED 

FACTS,  sometimes,  are  stranger  than 
fiction.    At  Uast,  that  was  the  con- 
fronting si#  ,#ion  that  Mother  Lee 
had  to  confe^  with,  as  Forrest  sat 
in  the  kitchen  with  hi^'iee  buried  in  his  hands. 
She  looked  at  him,  tJI      .away.    She  busied  her- 
self about  the  stove  ^^iking  an  unusual  noise. 
Somehow  the  sorrow  that  bowed  the  head  of  the 
one  so  strangely  near  her  own  soul,  completely 
unnerved  her.    She  was  at  a  loss  to  know  what 
to  say  or  do.    She  could  stand  the  suspense  no 
longer. 

"Why  sit  there  like  a  bump  on  a  log?  We  all 
must  go,  sometime.  Sweet  William  is  past  his 
sixties  and  it's  time  he  shuffled  off  before  he's 
helpless  and  in  the  way" — sending  a  sharp 
glance  out  of  the  window,  where  a  little  old  man 
sat  on  the  woodpile.  "Look  at  that  old  Moss- 
back  !  Who  '11  bother  about  him  when  I  'm  gone. 
You'll  miss  your  father  but  you  must  learn  to 
look  upon  death  as  I  have  had  to,  all  my  life. 
I've  seen  them  come  and  go — died  with  his  boots 

on,  I  suppose?" 

200 


THE  HOURS  THEY  WATCHED  201 

Forrest  sighed. 

1 1  Come,  take  off  your  coat  and  eat  your  din- 
ner ! ' ' 

Forrest  obeyed. 

" Wonder  how  Fern  takes  her  father's 
death  1" 

* '  What  ? ' ' — and  Forrest  pushed  back  his  plate 
and  stared  at  Mother  Lee. 

"Didn't  you  hear  that  Dale  was  dead?" 

"No," — and  Forres    sprang  from  the  table. 

"A  week  ago  to-day  ie  picked  up  his  pencil 
and  pad  and  hit  the  f  .1  across  the  range  for 
the  other  side.  I  into  rl  sending  you  up  word, 
but  news  is  so  hard  tc  iver." 

"And  Fern — how  is     ,o?    I  ought  to — " 

"No,  you  hadn't  ought  to — she's  all  right." 

"I  don't  think  I  can  stand  another  year." 

"Don't  you  dare  break  that  pledge.  I  want 
you  strong — not  a  weakling.  You  have  stuck 
it  out  well.  One  more  year  and  them  four  beau- 
tiful years  will  carve  a  foundation  for  your 
whole  life. ' ' 

Forrest  stood  with  folded  arms  and  looked 
out  of  the  window.  His  mind,  in  spite  of  his 
sorrow,  called  him  back  to  the  moss-covered  rock 
upon  which  they  had  spent  many  happy  hours, 
weaving  flowers,  reading  love  stories — the  moss- 
covered  rock  where  he  would,  in  another  year, 
hold  her  in  his  arms — kiss  her ! 

Mother  Lee  easily  read  his  thoughts  from  the 
exultant  look  that  gradually  lit  up  his  counte- 


202      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

nance.  She  did  not  disturb  him  but  went  to  the 
door  and  whispered  to  one  of  the  mountaineers : 

"It's  a  duty  you  owe  your  feller  man.  Hitch 
up  and  go  fetch  Old  Dave  down!" 

With  a  grunt,  the  mountaineer  retraced  his 
steps  to  the  barn  where  he  joined  another, 
equally  as  unneighbourly. 

Mother  Lee  watched  until  she  had  been  con- 
vinced that  they  intended  to  carry  out  her  com- 
mand, then  she  returned  to  the  kitchen. 

Forrest  had  come  out  of  his  daydream  and 
was  again  restless. 

"What  shall  I  do,  first?" 

1 '  Help  Maud  wash  them  dishes  1  Your  father 
will  be  taken  care  of." 

Forrest  pressed  his  lips  firmly  together  and 
began  washing  the  dishes  for  Mother  Lee  as  he 
had  done  many  times  before. 

"Where  is  Paul?" — having  missed  the  boy 
during  the  noon  hour. 

Mother  Lee  did  not  answer  but  an  angry  ex- 
pression clouded  her  face. 

"What  did  he  do?" 

"Nothing  himself,  but  he  got  in  with  some 
young  hoodlums  and  the  marshal  had  him  sent 
to  the  reform  school  along  with  the  others. ' ' 

"Couldn't  you  have  prevented  it?" 

"No,  not  with  this  new  numskull  of  a  marshal. 
But  I'm  going  to  take  a  trip  up  to  Golden,  my- 
self. If  them  head-officials  are  half  way  intelli- 


THE  HOURS  THEY  WATCHED     203 

gent  they'll  know  he's  a  good  boy  and  will  re- 
lease him." 

"You  can't  take  that  trip  on  the  train. 
You're  too — .  You've  never  been  on  a  train." 

' '  Yes,  I  have.  I  followed  the  building  of  that 
railroad  for  two  years  and  cooked  for  section 
hands  years  ago.  I  guess  I  haven't  forgotten 
how  to  ride  in  a  caboose.  That  boy  has  to  be 
saved  at  any  cost." 

Forrest  shook  his  head. 

"It  seems  with  all  your  wonderful  influence 
and  teachings,  no  one  could  ever  stray  from  your 
fold." 

1 1  That  problem  is  beyond  all  human  calcula- 
tion. There  is  something  deep  down  in  the 
hearts  of  us  all  that  cannot  be  regulated  by  edu- 
cation. Like  a  snake  in  the  grass  that  some- 
thing is  likely  to  spring  up  and  sting  the  hand  of 
its  closest  friend.  We  do  it  every  day  and  more 
often  unconsciously.  Paul  is  not  a  bad  boy  at 
heart  but  he  has  had  no  training.  It  was  the 
last  thought  in  his  mind  to  bring  trouble  to  me. 
I  have  always  made  a  study  of  human  seeds,  and 
the  cultivation  of  them,  and  I've  come  to  one 
conclusion:  It  all  hinges  on  just  how  the  old 
stocks  send  forth  their  sprouts.  I've  had  the 
raising  of  many  kinds  of  young  sprouts  and  no 
difference  how  carefully  they  are  cultivated, 
they  grow  up  to  be  counterparts  of  the  old  stock 
from  which  they  sprouted.  Look  at  the  batch 


204      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

of  weeds  I've  had  to  contend  with  all  my  life. 
Look  at  that  old  withered  sunflower  out  there, 
now,  on  that  woodpile,  absorbing  the  sun!  A 
lily  is  a  lily — a  weed  is  a  weed — education  is  cul- 
tivation. It  just  brightens  the  outside.  You 
are  a  son  of  Mother  Earth,  pure  and  simple. 
You  came  from  up  there  in  them  mountains. 
Paul  is  a  son  of  God  only  knows.  He  came  from 
the  city — the  masses.  At  the  beginning  it  takes 
only  a  spoonful  of  coal-oil  to  spoil  a  barrel  of 
molasses.  At  the  beginning  it  takes  only  one 
grain  of  carelessness  to  spoil  a  human  life. 
Careful,  tender  raising  helps,  but  that  which  is 
born  within,  no  teachings  can  fully  overcome. 
It's  the  very,  very  beginning  that  counts.  A 
young  couple  uniting  in  marriage  should  begin 
like  a  good  farmer  on  a  new  piece  of  land. 
First,  fence  in  that  land  from  all  outside  claim, 
then  plough  it  and  smooth  out  the  roughness  un- 
til it  lays  out  in  perfection.  Then  with  much 
care  and  calculation  sow  the  right  kind  of  seed. 
Such  farmers  will  naturally  harrow,  water  and 
tend  those  young  sprouts  until  at  last  they  are 
rewarded  by  beholding  a  golden  crop.  It's  the 
carelessness  in  scattering  human  seeds  upon  this 
earth  that  brings  about  so  much  discontent — the 
root  of  all  evil.  Prepare  the  lives  of  your  chil- 
dren! Don't  let  them  prepare  yours!  Build 
for  advancement !  Don 't  let  advancement  build 
for  you!  I  don't  mean  by  that,  for  an  acorn 
to  build  for  a  strawberry ;  but  let  there  be  per- 


THE  HOUES  THEY  WATCHED     205 

f  ection  in  each  individual  seed.  It  takes  variety 
to  keep  our  dear  world  moving  on  and  it's  vari- 
ety we  want,  but,  better  variety.  If  I  can  live 
to  see  just  one  living  specimen  of  what  I  feel 
God  intended  the  human  race  to  be  I  shall  be 
more  than  satisfied. 

"Forrest,  I  have  placed  you  upon  an  exalted 
pedestal.  I  want  you  to  stand  out  in  my  eternal 
memories  a  monument  to  my  teachings,  because 
I  have,  I'm  sure,  selected  a  perfect  foundation 
upon  which  to  build.  Our  daughters,  we  cuddle 
to  us,  and  call  them  pretty  things.  But  our 
sons !  We  are  so  proud  of  our  sons.  We  want 
to  see  them  go  forth  and  create  big  things.  And 
any  honest,  honourable  work  is  a  big  thing  in  a 
mother's  eye." 

Forrest  stood  motionless  as  a  statue.  His 
brown  eyes,  with  so  much  of  the  wild  deer's 
depth  within  them,  slowly  centred  upon  her. 
She  was  so  small,  so  frail,  as  she  stood  beside 
him  yet  powerful  and  big  within,  he  thought. 

"Dear  Mother  Lee,  so  motherly!  I  thank 
only  you  for  what  I  am," — and  with  the  whole 
affection  of  his  young  heart  he  caressed  her 
with  the  true  feeling  of  a  son.  He  kissed  her 
lips  the  second  time  in  his  twenty-three  years. 
His  warm,  young  blood  had  often  craved  for 
motherly  affection  but  the  apparent  cold  indif- 
ference of  Mother  Lee  had  seldom  encouraged 
him  further  than  a  pat  on  the  hand  or  a  boy's 
squeeze. 


206      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

" Don't  you  think  I  ought  to  take  that  trip  to 
Golden?"  asked  Forrest,  later  in  the  day. 

"No,  I'll  go  to-morrow — no,  not  until  after  we 
bury  Old  Dave." 

Mother  Lee  did  not  look  toward  Forrest,  but 
walked  to  the  big  square  corner  room  and 
opened  the  windows.  At  dusk,  she,  Maud  and 
Forrest  arose  at  the  sound  of  a  heavy  wagon 
driving  into  the  yard. 

*  *  Here  they  come. ' ' 

Forrest  paled. 

"Your  father  with  his  own  hands,  all  alone, 
chiselled  out  a  log  and  buried  your  mother,  the 
Lord  knows  where  up  in  them  mountains.  New 
let's  see  you  show  some  of  your  father's  gump- 
tion." 

The  words  worked  as  Mother  Lee  had  ex- 
pected. 

Forrest  threw  back  his  broad  shoulders  and 
helped  carry  the  blanketed  form  into  the  big 
corner  room. 

"Here's  a  black  wedding  suit  a  Swede  left  for 
his  board-bill," — and  Mother  Lee  pawed  about 
a  dark  closet  and  brought  forth  an  evening  dress 
suit. 

There  was  an  unusual  silence  as  night  fell 
over  Cottage  Home.  Forrest  and  Mother  Lee 
sat  alone  in  the  kitchen.  The  moon  was  new 
and  the  lantern  on  the  gate  post  swung  in  the 
wind  and  sent  a  fantastic  glare,  now  and  then, 
across  the  kitchen  floor.  The  wood  fire  in  the 


THE  HOURS  THEY  WATCHED     207 

cook  stove  crackled  and  sent  forth  the  only  com- 
fortable feeling  into  the  gloomy  surroundings. 

Mother  Lee  put  on  the  big  iron  pot  and  poured 
in  the  lard  and  corn. 

"Why  are  you  popping  all  that  corn?"  asked 
Forrest. 

"For  the  children." 

"What  children?" 

Mother  Lee  looked  about,  a  little  dazed.  It 
was  the  first  time  Forrest  had  ever  seen  her 
baffled,  and  a  pang  struck  his  heart. 

She  laughed,  a  little  annoyed. 

"That's  so — the  children  have  gone.  Haw- 
kins took  theirs  home  last  night.  That  left  me 
alone.  Well,  you  eat  what  you  can  and  some 
one  else  can  finish  it  to-morrow. ' ' 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

Di 

BBVEEEND  KNIGHT 

A  FEELING  of  independence  and  re- 
sponsibility took  possession  of  For- 
rest the  moment  he  returned  to  his 
cabin  among  the  giant  pines.    Al- 
though he  was  lonely  for  several  days  he  made 
up  his  mind  that  he  must  get  used  to  it  and  re- 
sume his  work. 

He  looked  with  profound  satisfaction  upon  his 
new  home.  The  outer  walls  were  built  from 
heavy  blocks  of  pine — rustic  in  architecture — 
and  rested  on  a  solid  foundation  of  stone  and 
cement.  The  last  window-pane  had  been  placed 
in  its  hand-carved  casement  and  the  hand-carved 
doors  had  all  been  hung.  The  interior  was  di- 
vided into  several  rooms.  A  large,  stone  fire- 
place almost  took  up  one  side  of  the  dining- 
room.  In  the  centre  of  the  dining-room  was  the 
beautifully  carved  round-table  surrounded  by 
six  chairs  to  match,  with  their  one  pieced  backs, 
carved  in  butterfly  designs.  At  one  end  of  the 
sitting-room  stood  an  elegantly  carved  bookcase, 
without  books.  A  staircase,  leading  to  the 
pretty  little  rooms  above,  was  made  from  a  part 

208 


BEVEREND  KNIGHT  209 

of  the  trunk  of  the  fallen  tree  and  like  the  rest 
was  beautifully  carved.  Upon  the  white  canvas 
walls  hung  handsomely  carved  picture-frames, 
without  pictures,  and  mirror-frames  without 
mirrors.  But  Fern  had  taken  their  measure- 
ments an  I  had  provided  for  each  in  turn. 

The  winter  would  season  the  wood  and  a  coat 
or  two  of  varnish  in  the  spring  would  bring  out 
the  natural  grain.  His  home  was  about  ready. 

He  had  six  months  to  start  a  bank  account  and 
Mother  Lee  had  told  him  that  that  must  be  his 
last  consideration  but  the  most  important. 
When  he  was  prepared  for  the  rainy  day,  he 
was  prepared  to  support  a  wife  and  family. 
Six  months  in  which  to  work  and  save  enough 
money!  Forrest  thought  earnestly.  He  had 
put  in  days  and  months  at  hard  work  beside  his 
father  and  had  seen  him  cart  away  a  great  many 
loads  of  ties  and  telegraph  poles  from  their 
timber  claim  but  had  seen  no  money  in  return. 
What  prospects  had  he,  then?  The  question 
troubled  him  extremely,  until  he  finally  deter- 
mined to  learn  his  fate  before  much  of  his 
limited  time  had  been  squandered.  He  immedi- 
ately wrote  to  both  the  Railroad  and  Telegraph 
companies  and  had  been  informed  that  he  could 
continue  supplying  them  with  ties  and  telegraph 
poles  at  the  same  figures  his  father  had  supplied 
them.  To  his  surprise,  he  saw  where  his  father 
should  have  accumulated  a  large  sum  of  money. 
He  said  to  Mother  Lee,  with  indignation : 


210      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

"Pop  has  been  robbed  because  of  his  igno- 
rance." 

An  answer  to  his  second  letter,  from  each  com- 
pany, with  an  enclosed  itemised  statement  of  the 
money  paid  David  Berkley  proved  otherwise. 
He  had  been  well  paid.  It  was  a  startling  sur- 
prise to  Forrest,  who  asked : 

"What  did  he  do  with  all  that  money!" 

"What  did  he  do  with  the  money  he  got  from 
that  old  fossil,  Dale?" 

"I'm  sure  I  don't  know." 

"Well,  it's  a  cinch  he  never  spent  it.  It  must 
be  about  somewhere,  but  you  '11  earn  every  dollar 
of  it  before  you'll  find  it." 

"I  don't  want  it.  I  can  earn  my  own  money 
— plenty  of  it,  too.  Besides,  I  can  give  you 
enough  so  you  can  take  a  rest — stop  cooking." 

"Rest?  Stop  cooking?"  A  twinkle  came 
into  Mother  Lee's  eye.  "I'll  lay  down  the  big 
spoon  some  day  and  surprise  you. ' ' 

A  moment  later  she  turned  toward  Forrest. 

*  *  Got  a  letter  from '  Prince '  Arthur, ' ' — a  smile 
playing  about  the  corners  of  her  mouth. 

"And  how  about  him?"  spoke  up  Forrest,  en- 
thusiastically. 

' '  He 's  herding  sheep,  way  down  South,  for  a 
widow  with  a  single  daughter.  Both  love  music 
and  are  willing  to  make  him  master  of  their  do- 
minion if  he  can  play  the  pianer.  He  has  sent 
for  his.  God  love  him!  Here's  the  check  to 


EEVEREND  KNIGHT  211 

pay  for  the  freight  and  here's  an  extra  bill 
slipped  in  for  me." 

"Fifty  bucks,"  whispered  Forrest,  in  sur- 
prise; "that's  a  month's  salary." 

Just  then  a  tottering  old  man  entered,  making 
a  lot  of  noise,  and  dropped  several  pieces  of 
wood  into  the  woodbox. 

Forrest  laughed,  and  called  out : 

"When  are  you  going  to  paint  the  house 
again!" 

"Next  spring,"  came  a  squeaking  voice,  as 
Sweet  William  tottered  out  without  looking  to- 
ward Forrest. 

"He'll  be  painting  his  tombstone  next,  the  old 
century  plant." 

"Whose  clothes  are  you  packing?" 

Forrest  had  watched  Mother  Lee  carefully 
place  several  garments  into  a  telescope,  where 
lay  a  bag  of  cookies  and  a  few  apples. 

"I'm  going  up  to  the  school,  to-morrow. 
I  promised  Paul  I'd  be  back  again  and  see 
him." 

"Won't  they  release  him?" 

* '  No.  They  say  I  'm  too  old  to  look  after  him. 
Whatever  put  that  notion  into  their  heads  is 
more  than  I  know.  I  Ve  written  a  letter  to  some 
of  his  relatives  in  the  East.  They'll  most  likely 
send  for  him. ' ' 

Forrest  returned  home,  much  elated.  All  the 
way  up  the  mountains  he  sang  and  whistled  and 


talked  to  his  horses.  A  future,  all  golden, 
loomed  up  before  him.  The  first  load  of  ties 
would  start  a  bank  account. 

He  built  a  sleigh,  and  when  the  snow  came, 
bundled  up  and  worked  at  every  possible  oppor- 
tunity. Closer  and  closer  he  was  approaching 
spring,  and  the  great  hour  that  thrilled  him  in 
anticipation.  His  dreams  were  of  her  in  all  her 
youthful  beauty — in  all  her  womanly  charms. 
He  dreamed  of  their  meeting-place — the  moss 
covered  rock — the  hour  when  the  sun  would 
burst  forth  in  a  carpet  of  gold;  when  the  wild 
flowers  were  filling  the  air  with  their  fragrance, 
and  the  song  birds  were  building  their  nests. 
Such  were  his  hours  of  pleasure — the  hours  that 
kept  loneliness  away  from  his  young  soul. 

When  the  icy  winds  howled  and  moaned 
through  the  pines,  he  threw  back  his  shoulders, 
for  he  understood  that  she,  too,  was  patiently 
waiting,  not  very  far  away.  His  thoughts  often 
drifted  to  Mother  Lee.  Her  life  of  persever- 
ance was  such  a  wonderful  lesson  to  him.  He 
had  never  heard  her  complain.  She  always  had 
some  reason  for  every  condition  and  always  had 
a  way  to  live  through  it.  He  fancied  he  saw  her 
bending  indifferently  over  typhoid  cases  from 
the  stone  quarry.  He  fancied  he  again  saw  her 
filling  the  patients '  empty  glasses  with  milk  and 
going  to  the  sick  room,  returning  a  few  moments 
later  to  resume  her  duties  in  the  kitchen.  He 
pictured  her  once  more  taking  in  strange  chil- 


KEVEREND  KNIGHT  213 

dren  from  any  one  who  chanced  along  and  put- 
ting them  to  bed  with  those  already  under  her 
wing.  He  often  smiled  as  he  recalled  her  cold, 
stern,  authoritative  manner  and  how,  when  a 
boy,  he  thought  her  the  most  severe  person  in 
the  world. 

But  what  a  depth  he  had,  at  last,  fathomed  in 
her.  A  sacrificing  kindness  far  beyond  his 
power  to  describe!  He  watched  her  again, 
through  memory,  scolding  some  drunkard 
through  fhe  bars  of  the  "cooler,"  or  at  her 
kitchen  door,  giving  them  black  coffee,  or  a 
strong  onion,  to  make  them  sober. 

Forrest  often  caught  himself  laughing  over 
some  amusing  incident  that  popped  up  in  her 
daily  life.  Cats,  dogs,  birds,  or  flowers  were 
never  allowed  upon  her  premises.  Anything 
superfluous  or  of  no  vital  use  was  burned  in  the 
stove.  Many  a  cob-pipe  hit  the  red-hot  coals 
before  its  owner  could  protest.  Marbles,  jump- 
ing-ropes, kites,  rubber  balls  and  every  conceiv- 
able object  that  looked  like  a  toy,  had  to  be  kept 
carefully  out  of  sight,  or  it  met  its  fate  in  the 
stove.  These  and  many  other  recollections  en- 
tertained Forrest  during  his  evening  hours  in 
the  lonesome  cabin. 

But  these  consoling  dreams  always  terminated 
with  a  prevailing  something  that  he  could  not 
shake  off.  Sometimes  he  felt  that  Mother  Lee 
was  looking  very  old  and  weak  and  could  not 
keep  up  much  longer.  Other  times  her  strange 


sayings,  of  taking  her  long  trip  across  Medicine 
Bow  Eange,  was  not  exactly  like  herself.  His 
blood  ran  cold  at  the  thought  of  anything  hap- 
pening to  Mother  Lee.  He  loved  her  so  deeply. 
And  the  rest  could  never  get  along  without  her. 
When  these  gloomy  thoughts  took  possession 
of  him  he  would  assure  himself  that  an  extra 
load  of  ties  was  of  no  consequence.  His  main 
purpose  was  to  see  Mother  Lee  and  enquire 
about  her  health. 

But  she  always  avoided  answering  him  by 
speaking  of  some  newcomer — himself — or  of  his 
future. 

"You  must  get  one  of  them  automobiles." 

Automobiles  had  become  quite  common  to 
Mother  Lee,  having  seen  a  great  many  pass  her 
home  and  turn  up  the  mountain  road. 

"Yes.  It's  in  my  mind  that  as  soon  as  I  have 
a  thousand  dollars  in  the  bank,  I'll  have  one. 
One  of  those  little  black  ones." 

' '  How  much  have  you  saved  ? ' ' 

"Four  hundred  and  ninety-five  dollars." 

"  In  five  months  ?" 

1 1  This  is  March,  I  started  in  November. ' ' 

"My,  how  old  Father  Time  rushes  things 
lately !  Old  Grimes  came  in  here  the  other  day 
and  introduced  a  young  lady — the  prettiest  face, 
outside  of  Fern's,  I  have  ever  seen — and  who  do 
you  suppose  it  was?" 

"Mary,  no  doubt,"  smiled  Forrest. 

"Mary's  right,  and  she's  now  a  woman." 


EEVEEEND  KNIGHT  215 

"You  forget,  Mother  Lee,  that  she's  only  a 
couple  of  years  younger  than  I. ' ' 

Mother  Lee  looked  steadily  at  him.  It  was 
then  he  noticed,  more  than  ever,  how  she  had 
aged. 

"You  were  never  small — you  were  always  big 
to  me — always  a  man." 

' '  But  I  had  to  enlarge  my  '  Home '  to  keep  in- 
side of  myself, ' ' — patting  his  chest  and  laughing 
with  satisfaction. 

"Yes,  you  have  developed.  How-do-you-do, 
sir." 

Her  attention  was  drawn  to  the  red  brick 
walk,  down  which  came  a  tall,  black  clothed 
figure. 

"How-do-you-do,  madam.  Can  I  get  accom- 
modations for  the  night  ? '  * 

"Come  in,  sir!" 

The  tall,  straight,  dark  figure  moved  into  the 
kitchen  like  a  spirit — his  wide,  flat,  black  hat  in 
his  hand. 

"You 're  sick!" 

The  man  sat  down,  quickly. 

"I  am,  but  I  don't  know  what  ails  me." 

"I  do.  You've  walking  typhoid.  Where  did 
you  come  from?" 

He  looked  at  her  searchingly,  then  slowly  an- 
swered : 

"I  don't  remember." 

* '  You  'r e  a  minister. ' ' 

"Yes,  a  Baptist." 


216      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

"Then  you  come  from  the  skies. " 

"Skies?" — raising  his  tired  looking  face 
heavenward  as  he  tried  to  comprehend  her 
meaning. 

"Never  mind  racking  your  brains.  I  prayed 
for  you,  and  the  good  Lord  has  directed  your 
steps  among  us.  We  need  a  minister.  Come, 
get  to  bed  and  rest  thy  weary  bones  I" 

He  followed  her  to  the  big  room. 

"I've  several  duties  for  that  man  to  per- 
form, ' '  she  told  Forrest  upon  her  return  to  the 
kitchen.  "Maud's  wedding,  which  has  been 
shoved  about  for  the  past  six  months — your 
wedding  in  June  and  if  I  haven't  missed  my 
guess,  a  funeral  sermon  very  shortly," — looking 
over  her  glasses  toward  the  wood  pile. 

Forrest  could  not  help  smiling. 

"He  refuses  to  come  in.  Says  he  was  born  in 
the  open  world  and  that  was  where  he  intended 
to  die." 

Mother  Lee  went  with  a  cup  of  milk  to  the 
sick  minister. 

Forrest  arose  and  put  on  his  coat  to  return  to 
his  cabin.  On  his  way  up  the  mountain  road  he 
looked  back  to  see  Mother  Lee  still  watching  him 
from  the  porch. 

"My  wedding  in  June,"  he  repeated,  with  a 
feeling  of  suppressed  joy. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

THE   MOSS-COVERED  BOCK 

THE  dawn  of  their  great  day  had  come. 
The  day  of  Forrest's  and  Fern's  ap- 
pointment— the  day  they  had  set  to 
meet  at  the  moss-covered  rock — the 
fifteenth  day  of  May — the  sweetest  of  the  moun- 
tain seasons. 

Forrest  had  hardly  slept  and  at  the  very  first 
ray  of  light  was  up  dressing.  After  a  clean 
shave  he  bathed  his  face  in  cold  water  and 
brushed  his  heavy,  blue-black  hair  smoothly 
back.  He  fastened  a  new  silk  tie  loosely  about 
the  collar  of  his  blue  flannel  shirt  and  donned  a 
new  pair  of  brown  corduroy  trousers.  He  was 
a  fine  looking  fellow  who,  in  spite  of  his  care- 
less attire,  had  a  clean  cut  personality.  He  was 
an  ever-ready-sort-of-fellow,  and  any  woman 
from  a  princess  down  to  a  servant-girl,  would 
not  want  him  different.  Long  before  sunrise 
he  was  at  the  moss-covered  rock.  He  stood  with 
a  thumping  heart  and  with  his  eyes  centred 
along  the  trail  which  led  to  Fern's  home.  So 
sure  was  he  that  she  would  come,  he  uncon- 
sciously started  down  the  trail  to  meet  her. 

217 


218      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

The  breaking  of  twigs  drove  him  hastily  for- 
ward. 

The  sun  suddenly  lit  up  the  trail  like  a  carpet 
of  gold. 

With  flushed  cheeks  and  sparkling  eyes,  Fern 
made  her  appearance. 

Forrest  rushed  toward  her  with  his  arms  out- 
stretched and  she,  panting  from  her  excitement 
and  hurried  walk,  was,  a  moment  later,  in  his 
embrace. 

"At  last  the  prison  bars  have  opened.  What 
torture  I've  suffered,  away  from  you!  Only 
God  knows  how  I've  prayed  for  this  hour — this 
hour,  when  I  could  honestly  hold  you  in  my 
arms,  my  darling  little  Fern." 

With  no  resistance  she  allowed  him  to  cover 
her  face  with  kisses. 

He  then  caught  her  up  in  his  arms  and  car- 
ried her  to  the  moss-covered  rock. 

"Just  think  what  it  means  to  me,  Fern. 
You're  going  to  be  my  wife.  All  mine,  forever ! 
And  we  are  going  to  live  together — you  and  I — 
to  do  as  we  please — to  love — to  work — to  live!" 

He  had  seated  himself  upon  the  moss-covered 
rock,  still  holding  her  in  his  arms.  For  a  long- 
time he  sat  with  his  face  pressed  close  to  hers. 

Fern  had  no  desire  to  move  or  speak.  She 
did  not  want  to  awake  from  that  love  spell  that 
she  had  never  thought  could  so  forcefully  por- 
tray itself  in  Forrest.  She  was  glad  he  could 
make  love  like  that  and  that  he  had  deliberately 


•n 

The  sun  suddenly  lit  up  the  trail  like  a  carpet  of  gold. 


THE  MOSS-COVERED  ROCK       219 

taken  the  situation  in  his  own  hands.  She  had 
pictured  an  awkward  meeting,  wherein  neither 
would  have  the  courage  to  advance. 

After  a  long  embrace,  Forrest  loosened  his 
strong  arms  and  let  her  worm  herself  down  upon 
the  rock  beside  him. 

They  talked  over  their  plans. 

Forrest  told  her  he  had  everything  ready. 

' '  That  is — all  I  can  do.  You  must  do  the  rest, 
later." 

The  thought  prompted  them  to  look  into  each 
other's  eyes  and  again  embrace  with  the  purest 
of  love's  kisses. 

"Oh,  I'm  going  to  be  a  good  little  wife  and 
help  you  do  all  the  fixing — " 

His  arms  drew  her  so  tightly  to  him  that  she 
was  unable  to  finish  speaking.  For  hours  they 
talked  and  kissed  and  dreamed.  They  were 
startled  out  of  their  love  entrancement,  however, 
by  the  noonday  mark. 

"I  promised  mother  I  would  bring  you  as 
soon  as  possible.  Hadn  't  we  better  go  to  her  I ' ' 

Forrest  seemed  absent-minded.  He  was  look- 
ing down  at  her  with  his  hands  still  clinging  to 
hers.  Again,  without  warning,  he  seized  her  up 
in  his  arms  and  kissed  her  repeatedly. 

"Dear,  dear  Forrest — you  are  so  strong  you 
are  squeezing  out  my  breath,"  panted  Fern, 
laughingly. 

"Forgive  me,  I'm  so  full  of  love.  I've  been 
adding  it  up,  so  awfully  long,  that  I  feel  I'll 


220      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

burst  if  I  don't  exhaust  some  of  it,  at  least." 

"I  was  saying,  hadn't  we  better  go  to 
mother!" 

"  Mother!" 

The  word  awoke  him  and  he  answered : 

"Yes,  we  will  go  to  mother.  I  want  to  assure 
her  of  what  I'm  going  to  do  for  you  and  how 
I  'm  going  to  steal  you  away  from  her — dearest 
and  prettiest  Fern  of  the  forest." 

Together,  they  started  toward  her  home  and 
just  before  reaching  the  clearing,  Forrest 
stopped  and  caressed  her  again. 

Mrs.  Dale,  watching  through  the  window  of 
her  room  spied  them  and  rang  for  luncheon  to 
be  served. 

The  happy  pair  bounded  into  the  room,  and 
Forrest's  affection,  with  but  little  encourage- 
ment, asserted  itself. 

Mrs.  Dale's  sweet,  motherly  welcome  brought 
him  to  her  side  and  he  kissed  her  repeatedly, 
from  the  warmth  of  his  young  heart 

1 '  Mother ! "  he  whispered. 

Mrs.  Dale,  as  he  voiced  the  one  word, 
"mother,"  let  her  heart  go  out  to  him  more 
spontaneously  than  she  had  ever  felt  it  go  out 
to  either  of  her  daughters. 

"My  son!"  she  answered.  "I'm  proud  to 
give  my  daughter  to  you." 

' '  Thank  you,  mother !  You  will  never  regret 
it." 

A  dainty  luncheon  was  served  but  Forrest  and 


THE  MOSS-COVERED  EOCK       221 

Fern  were  too  full  of  love  to  relish  it.  They 
scarcely  tasted  the  food,  and  Mrs.  Dale  com- 
mented upon  it.  Neither  of  them  seemed  to 
hear  her,  they  were  so  absorbed  in  one  another. 

"Mother,  I  think  Forrest  and  I  should  go  to 
Mother  Lee.  I'm  sure  she  will  be  looking  for 
us." 

"I'll  go  get  my  horse  and  meet  you  at  the 
cross-roads,"  spoke  up  Forrest. 

He  was  restless.  To  remain  indoors  and  be 
quiet  was  beyond  his  nature. 

Mrs.  Dale  smiled.  She  plainly  detected  his 
nervousness  and  suggested  that  it  would  be  no 
more  than  right  for  them  to  go. 

Forrest  kissed  her  before  leaving. 

Fern  hurried  to  her  room  to  change  from  her 
pretty  ruffled  dress  to  a  white  flannel  riding 
skirt,  a  white  sweater  and  cap.  She  was  ready 
and  waiting  on  her  little  white  pony  with  its 
flowing  mane  and  tail  decorated  with  blue  rib- 
bons when  Forrest  dashed  up  on  his  spirited 
black,  so  full  of  life  and  restlessness. 

*  *  My !    What  a  beautiful  horse ! ' ' 

"I  bought  him  purposely  to  ride  with  you. 
It's  the  first  time  he's  had  a  saddle  on." 

"He  is  just  like  his  master — big  and  strong," 
laughed  Fern. 

"And  just  as  restless,"  answered  Forrest. 
"I  know  he  feels  as  I  do.  He  wants  to  get 
everywhere  at  the  same  time." 

They  fell  in,  side-by-side,  Fern's  little  white 


222      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

pony  trotting  proudly  along,  while  Forrest  held 
in  his  snorting,  wild-eyed  "Jet/'  as  he  called 
him. 

Mother  Lee  was  standing  at  the  kitchen  door 
as  they  came  down  the  mountain  road.  She  had 
never  seen  a  prettier  sight. 

"Love,  strength,  innocence  and  perfection," 
she  muttered. 

Forrest  alighted  and  assisted  Fern  from  her 
saddle,  stealing  a  kiss  as  he  did  so,  and  then  led 
the  two  horses  into  the  barn-yard. 

Fern  hurried  to  Mother  Lee  and  whispered 
her  great  joy. 

"Come  in,  child.  You'll  be  as  interested  as 
Forrest.  These  men,  here,  are  going  to  open 
up  a  park  adjoining  your  land.  A  resort. 
There  is  going  to  be  a  million-dollar  hotel  built, 
and  lots  of  wealthy  people  from  all  over  the 
world  will  come  in  their  fine  automobiles.  For- 
rest can  make  a  great  deal  of  money  by  letting 
the  public  road  run  through  his  land. 

Forrest  entered  in  time  to  hear  Mother  Lee's 
last  remark. 

"Here's  the  man  you'll  have  to  see  regarding 
that  proposition." 

Mother  Lee  introduced  Forrest  and  soon  an 
earnest  conversation  followed. 

Forrest  saw  how  the  public  road  would  in- 
crease the  value  of  his  land  and  readily  agreed 
with  them. 

Fern  was  burning  up  with  pleasure.    She  was 


THE  MOSS-COVERED  EOCK       223 

thinking  how  pretty  their  new  home  would  look 
on  a  public  road  and  it  was  in  her  mind  to  have 
Forrest  see  that  it  passed  their  very  door. 
Other  people  would  come  and  put  up  summer 
homes  and  instead  of  the  wild  forest  there  would 
be  a  city  of  people. 

After  the  men  had  gone,  Forrest  enthusiasti- 
cally explained: 

1  'I  see  great  prospects  ahead.  We'll  have 
our  land  divided  up  into  lots.  I  shall  design — 
build  bungalows — and  sell  them. " 

" Isn't  that  a  bright  idea?"  cried  Fern. 
"And  I  can  design  the  interiors." 

Her  eyes  grew  larger  as  she  gave  Mother  Lee 
a  little  frightened  look. 

Mother  Lee  smiled  and  said  as  she  started 
supper : 

' '  As  God  made  you,  He  matched  you. ' ' 

The  sun  was  just  sinking  over  the  top  of 
Medicine  Bow  Eange  as  the  two  lovers  started 
back  up  the  mountain  road. 

Mother  Lee  thought  she  had  never  seen  so 
much  colour  in  the  sky  nor  so  much  beauty  in 
life,  as  she  watched  the  two  out  of  sight.  She 
slowly  let  her  eyes  drift  from  the  golden  west 
to  the  shadows  below;  then  gradually  to  the 
wood-pile.  Her  sight  was  dimmed  for  a  brief 
moment,  then  it  grew  accustomed  to  the  shadow- 
light  and  she  made  out  the  object  of  her  search. 

" Thunderation !    Come  into  the  house!" 


CHAPTER  XXVIH 

A   CHILD  OF  THE   MOONBEAMS 

THE  little  secret  between  Mother  Lee 
and  Fern  was  of  special  interest,  for 
the  beautiful  month  of  May,  with  its 
spring  breezes  filled  with  the  scent  of 
the  cedar  and  spruce  blossoms,  was  nearing  its 
end.  Fern,  in  the  midst  of  the  sweet  mountain 
fragrance,  stole  down  from  her  home  to  see  and 
to  plan  with  Mother  Lee. 

Their  secret  was :  how  were  they  going  to  play 
the  part  of  the  good  Fairy  and  put  the  finishing 
touches  to  Forrest's  brown  home! 

1 '  I  'm  so  happy,  Mother  Lee !  Everything  has 
come  out  so  beautifully.  Mother  darling  has 
devoted  so  much  of  her  time  and  interest  to  my 
welfare.  Sister  went  East  a  month  ago,  and 
will  have  a  grand  wedding. ' ' 

" Grand  is  only  a  matter  of  opinion,"  inter- 
rupted Mother  Lee.  "God  scattered  opinions 
of  all  kinds.  My  opinion  is,  that  your  wedding 
is  going  to  be  grander  than  that  of  your  sister 's. 
A  wedding  in  the  skies —  True  blue —  The 
pure  gold  of  nature !  But  this  isn't  getting  the 
final  fixings  together,  is  it?  I've  thought  of  a 
scheme.  We'll  catch  Bardoff  when  he  passes 

224 


A  CHILD  OF  THE  MOONBEAMS     225 

and  we  '11  arrange  for  him  to  load  the  stuff  on 
his  wagon  and  haul  it  over  the  first  chance  I  get 
to  detain  Forrest  in  town.  I'll  make  believe 
I  'm  sick  or  something  and  hold  him  over. ' ' 

"Oh,  bu^  Mother  Lee!  I'm  sure  there  are 
wagon  loads  of  things  to  go  over — hundreds  of 
books  and  a  piano — carpets — bedding — beauti- 
ful china  dishes  and,  oh,  so  many  pretty  things 
that  Mother  has  been  sending  away  for.  The 
piano  is  now  at  the  freight  station.  Mother 
said  that  I  must  have  everything  brand  new, 
with  no  evil  influences  on  them. ' ' 

"Bardoff  can  get  help.  He's  about  the  most 
reliable  man  I  know  of.  We'll  manage.  Now 
I  want  to  introduce  you  to  the  minister.  I've 
nursed  him  from  death's  door  for  the  purpose 
of  your  wedding.  He's  a  Baptist,  and  a  hard- 
shelled  one  at  that.  I've  been  at  my  wits'  end 
how  to  detain  him.  He  still  walks  around  with 
that  book  called  the  *  Wandering  Jew,'  under 
his  arm  and  declares  that  he  is  wanted  else- 
where. But  I  '11  hang  on  to  him  if  I  have  to  lock 
him  up  in  the  'cooler.'  Listen!  That's  Bar- 
doff  coming  up  the  road.  Go  out  and  hail  him. ' ' 

Fern  bounded  out  of  the  kitchen  and  down 
the  walk,  waving  her  pretty  arms  in  her  ex- 
citement. 

Amid  rattling,  squeaking  sounds,  Bardoff 
pulled  his  shaggy  team  to  a  halt. 

' '  Mother  Lee  wants  you ! ' ' 

He  climbed  down  off  the  seat,  and  with  an  ex- 


226       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

pression  of  deep  concern,  followed  Fern's  flit- 
ting form  into  the  kitchen. 

After  Mother  Lee  had  explained  her  wants, 
Bardoff  puffed  out  his  fat  bewhiskered  cheeks 
and  looked  extremely  amused. 

"I'll  get  the  help,  all  right.  I'm  always 
ready  to  assist  in  the  hitching  up  of  young  folks. 
But  when  are  you  going  to  get  me  a  woman?" — 
grinning  mischievously  at  Mother  Lee. 

"All  your  chances  are  buried  over  the  hill. 
Died  waiting  for  you  to  make  up  your  mind." 

"Guess  you're  right,  Mother.  Bardoff  will 
have  to  fry  his  own  bacon  and  keep  on  eating  his 
bread  and  'harness  grease'  (sorghum)  alone." 

"And  keep  getting  fatter  and  rounder." 

"Yep.    When  does  the  big  event  come  off?" 

"I'll  hail  you  when  I'm  ready.  Just  keep 
still  about  it.  Here,  take  some  of  this  fresh 
bread!" 

"Thanks." 

Bardoff  left  with  his  mind  more  on  the  two 
loaves  of  fresh  bread  than  on  what  Mother  Lee 
had  so  confidentially  poured  into  his  ear. 

"He'll  not  disappoint  us,  will  he?"  asked 
Fern,  turning  from  the  doorway. 

"No,  Bardoff  only  disappoints  himself." 

Mother  Lee  introduced  Fern  to  the  tall,  thin, 
dark-clothed  minister,  whose  distinguished,  in- 
teresting manner  won  her  at  once.  Her  earnest 
blue  eyes  were  constantly  upon  him  as  his  soft 
melodious  words  flowed  fluently  in  a  language 


A  CHILD  OF  THE  MOONBEAMS     227 

most  beautiful,  and  the  whole  of  the  time  her 
mind  was  thinking  over  and  over,  how  glad  she 
was  that  such  a  fine,  intelligent  man  was  to  unite 
her  forever  to  the  one  she  loved. 

"And  it's  going  to  be  a  wreath  of  real  orange 
blossoms,"  he  softly  said  to  her.  "I'll  send  to 
California  for  them." 

"How  very  nice  of  you!"  was  all  she  could 
say  as  her  eyes  filled  with  tears  of  joy. 

"And  what's  for  Maud?"  asked  Mother  Lee, 
having  overheard  the  remark. 

"A  garland  of— of  starch!  Starch!  That 
seems  to  be  the  real  height  of  her  ambition. ' ' 

There  was  an  expression  of  indifference  on 
Maud's  face  as  she  turned,  hot  and  flushed,  from 
the  ironing  board. 

A  couple  of  silent  mountaineers  came  in  for 
supper,  ending  the  conversation. 

Fern  donned  her  white  cap  and  sweater.  She 
looked  exceedingly  pretty  to  Mother  Lee  as  she 
bounded  away  on  the  snow  white  pony  she  had 
learned  to  ride  with  such  wonderful  skill.  Wav- 
ing her  hand,  she  was  soon  gone. 

Scarcely  had  the  sun  rays  swallowed  her  up 
when  Forrest  drove  in  from  the  opposite  direc- 
tion. 

A  little  later  Mother  Lee  asked: 

"Now  what's  on  your  mind?" 

"It's  May  and  I  haven't  seen  anything  of  that 
Good  Fairy  yet." 

1 '  Do  you  doubt  my  word  ? ' ' 


"No,  ma'am!  But  I'd  like  to  talk  it  over 
with  you.  Somehow  I  'm  afraid  you  are  putting 
yourself  to  too  much  expense  and  trouble." 

"Not  a  penny — " 

"Then  Fern  is." 

Mother  Lee 's  wit  flashed  back  an  answer : 

'  *  Since  you  're  taking  it  to  heart  so,  I  '11  make 
a  clean  breast  of  it.  I've  bought  up  all  the  duck 
feathers  for  miles  around  and  have  made  you  a 
feather  bed  to  sleep  upon.  I've  clipped  and 
swiped  the  tails  from  every  cast-off  coat  I  could 
lay  my  hands  upon  and  patched  you  a  quilt. 
You  can  help  yourself  to  the  dishes  on  the  table. 
All  you  '11  have  to  do  is  to  lay  in  a  stock  of  pro- 
visions. Fern  will  not  expect  anything  better 
until  after  she  comes  to  you.  A  woman  doesn't 
expect  minor  improvements  from  a  man." 

Forrest  exhaled  a  long-drawn  sigh  of  relief. 

"I've  everything  finished  except  what  you 
mention — now  I  can  rest." 

"Didn't  you  rest  before?" 

"No,  I  thought  you  were  spending  your 
money. ' ' 

"Be  at  peace  and  wait  for  your  feather  bed." 

Forrest  went  away  satisfied,  and  Mother  Lee 
stood  for  a  long  time  in  the  twilight.  She  be- 
lieved in  fun,  and  Fern's  fun  was  not  to  be 
spoiled.  She  then  went  to  the  woodpile  and 
spoke  sternly  to  "Sweet  William"  whom  she 
found  rocking  to  and  fro  upon  a  log. 

"It  looks  like  rain — better  go  to  bed." 


A  CHILD  OF  THE  MOONBEAMS     229 

The  old  man  scrambled  to  his  feet,  somewhat 
startled,  and  began  muttering. 

" Don't  chatter — talk!" — pushing  him  au- 
thoritatively ahead  of  her,  into  the  house.  She 
watched  him  crawl  slowly  up  the  stairs.  She 
then  went  to  the  dining-room  porch  and  called 
out  into  the  gathering  darkness : 

"Come,  Reverend  Knight!  You've  walked 
enough  for  one  day." 

Then  she  threw  open  several  shutters.  As 
she  made  her  way  back  to  the  kitchen  she  scru- 
tinised every  corner,  half  expecting  to  find  some 
little  hiding  face.  For  one  brief  moment  she 
stood  with  firm  set  jaws.  Never  before  had  she 
been  confronted  with  a  feeling  of  such  complete 
loneliness.  Not  a  child  about!  One  by  one 
they  had  all  drifted  from  beneath  her  wings. 
She  looked  frightened.  With  a  strange,  hyp- 
notic feeling,  she  sank  into  a  chair  at  her  favour- 
ite window,  where  the  moon  always  shone  and 
the  children  had  always  greeted  her.  The  deso- 
lation caused  her  to  cringe  inwardly. 

Through  the  spirit  light  of  her  imagination  a 
tiny  child  opened  the  dark  screen  door  and  en- 
tered. It  swiftly  glided  up  before  her. 

"Who  are  you?"  quickly  asked  Mother  Lee. 

"I  have  come  from  across  Medicine  Bow 
Range,  out  of  the  western  sky.  I'm  the  child 
of  your  future.  I  have  come  to  peep  over  the 
horizon  of  your  new  life.  I  am  here  to  ask  you 
to  come  to  our  home.  We  have  lots  and  lots  of 


230       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

children  waiting  for  your  stories.  Lots  and 
lots,  just  like  me. " 

"I'll  be  ready  when  the  last  bugle  calls  for  me, 
not  before.  Not  yet,  I  have  one  more  mission 
to  fulfill.  The  sacred  wedding  of  my  life 's  work. 
Go  back!  Go  back!  I  understand  your  mes- 
sage. It  is  that  I'm  growing  old — too  old — to 
care  for  the  children  of  earth." 

She  arose  to  break  the  spell  of  her  spirit 
dream.  She  wound  the  alarm  clock  vigorously, 
then  picked  up  her  match  can  and  felt  her  way 
to  bed.  She  feebly  brushed  her  hand  over  the 
smooth  surface  as  if  she  doubted  her  realisation 
— that  she  were  alone. 

"There 're  smooth  and  rough  places  along 
life's  road.  There's  daylight  and  darkness. 
There's  joy  and  there's  sorrow  and  there 're 
times  when  one  must  walk  alone." 

She  closed  her  eyes  and  forced  herself  to 
sleep. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

A  LITTLE   BROWN    CASTLE 


"M 


OTHER  Lee!  Wake  up!  It's 
Forrest.  I  want  to  show  you 
something." 

_       " Yes,  what  is  it?" 

Are  you  awake  ? ' ' 
"Yes—  " 

"Where  are  the  matches?" — and  he  fumbled 
about  the  floor. 

"There,  under  the  head  of  the  bed." 
"Yes,  I  know,  but  where?" 
"Let  me  think." 

"Never  mind,  I'll  find  tnem!" — and  he 
searched,  arm's  length,  under  the  bed.  At  last, 
locating  them,  he  struck  one  and  lit  a  lantern. 
"I  couldn't  wait  until  daylight,  I  had  to  come 
and  show  you." 

Mother  Lee  attempted  to  get  out  of  bed  but 
he  gently  pushed  her  back. 

"Stay  under  the  covers!  It's  chilly.  I  can 
show  you  just  as  well  where  you  are, ' ' — hauling 
two  heavy  leather  bags  from  his  pockets,  as  he 
spoke,  and  pouring  out  their  contents  upon  the 
bed. 

231 


232      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

She  blinked  at  it,  then  reached  out  for  her 
glasses,  that  she  might  better  see. 

"Where  did  you  find  it?" 

"In  Dad's  bunk.  I  went  home,  and,  having 
nothing  to  do,  thought  I  would  clean  out  the  old 
cabin  for  the  new  automobile  I  want  to  buy." 

' '  It  doesn  't  surprise  me.  It  always  was  in  my 
mind  that  Old  Dave  made  more  than  molasses 
money  out  of  all  them  years  of  hauling  trees. 
How  much  is  there  I ' ' 

"I  haven't  counted  it.  I  couldn't  get  here 
fast  enough." 

"Well,  I'll  get  up  and  start  a  fire,  and  we'll 
count  it  over.  There  must  be  a  thousand  or 
more." 

"A  thousand?  There's  five  if  there's  a  cent. 
Look  at  all  the  gold  pieces !  Here,  you  stay  in 
bed!  I '11  start  the  fire." 

Mother  Lee  waited  for  Forrest  to  kindle  a  log 
fire.  She  then  arose,  dressed  and  came  into  the 
kitchen  with  the  money  still  in  the  counterpane. 

' '  Come,  get  your  feet  in  the  oven ! ' ' — and  For- 
rest placed  a  chair  before  the  stove. 

"Now  you  can  go  down  to  the  city  yourself, 
and  buy  one  of  them  automobiles,"  putting  into 
words  her  scheme  to  get  him  out  of  the  way  for 
a  few  days. 

"And  I  can  also  buy  those  curtains  and  car- 
pets and  pictures — " 

"No,  not  a  thing — not  until  Fern  goes  with 
you.  Only  a  wedding  suit  and  an  automobile." 


A  LITTLE  BROWN  CASTLE        233 

"Well,  all  right.  But  let's  divide  the  money. 
I  want  to  give  you  part  of  it." 

"I  don't  want  any  of  your  father's  money. 
He  paid  me  well  for  what  I  did  for  him." 

' '  Well,  then,  take  some  of  it  for  Maud.  She 
may  need  some  little  extras  for  her  wedding  and 
we  can  pay  old  Brunell,  too.  Let's  count  it." 

He  spread  the  money  out  before  her. 

"Be  careful!  The  walls  have  ears,"  whis- 
pered Mother  Lee. 

Together  they  counted  the  money  and  planned 
many  ways  of  spending  it. 

"Isn't  it  right  I  should  have  it?" 

There  was  a  tone  of  anxiety  in  Forrest's 
voice. 

"Why  not?  You  honestly  inherit  what  be- 
longed to  your  father;  and  money  wasn't  in- 
tended to  hoard  away — but  to  be  spent  for  the 
good  it  can  bring  us. ' ' 

Daylight  found  them  still  sitting  and  plan- 
ning. It  was  settled  that  Forrest  would  take  a 
trip  to  the  city.  It  was  also  planned,  through 
Mother  Lee 's  suggestion,  that  he  was  to  remain 
away  until  the  day  of  his  wedding. 

1 1  Don 't  worry  about  your  stock.  Bardoff  will 
look  after  them. " 

With  his  money  carefully  concealed,  Forrest 
kissed  Mother  Lee  good-bye,  and  made  his  way 
on  foot  over  the  hill  to  the  little  station. 

Mother  Lee  was  unusually  cheerful  when  she 
went  out  to  signal  Bardoff  to  stop. 


234      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

"The  coast  is  clear,"  she  called  out  to  him. 
"Forrest's  gone  to  the  city.  You  look  after  his 
stock  and  tell  little  Fern  to  take  her  time  and 
do  things  well.  You  do  the  hauling  and  Maud 
is  going  up  to  help  along.  * ' 

At  that  moment  Maud,  in  a  long  dress,  came 
down  the  walk,  finishing  her  dressing  as  she  ad- 
vanced. She  climhed  up  in  the  high  seat,  glad 
of  a  few  days'  absence  from  the  ironing  board. 

"I'm  going  to  call  it,  'The  Little  Brown  Castle 
in  the  Skies,'  "  were  Mother  Lee's  parting 
words,  as  Bardoff  drove  away,  with  Maud  on  the 
seat  beside  him. 

Mother  Lee  stood  with  the  deepest  feeling  of 
joy  she  had  ever  experienced. 

"A  perfect  completion — what  a  reward,"  she 
murmured.  Then,  as  if  glancing  back  over  her 
years  of  happiness,  she  continued  as  she  re- 
sumed her  work : 

"The  Little  Brown  Castle  in  the  Skies!  To 
them,  it  will  be  what  Cottage  Home  has  been  to 
me." 

For  almost  a  half  century  she  had  lived  there. 
She  would  have  felt  very  uneasy  any  other  place. 
She  would  not  have  exchanged  places  with  any- 
body in  the  world.  Cottage  Home,  where  she 
had  spent  so  many  days  of  interest — so  many 
days  of  pleasure.  It  had  been  her  "Castle" 
among  her  kind  of  people  who  came  to  her  with 
their  sorrows — their  joys — their  sickness — their 
gossip.  She  had  been  their  medium  at  all  times. 


A  LITTLE  BROWN  CASTLE       235 

Why  should  she  not  be  satisfied?  Her  life  had 
been  a  golden  book,  the  many  pages  of  which  re- 
vealed a  world  of  interest,  and  the  interest  was 
bound  to  last  until  the  very  end.  She  smiled, 
she  almost  could  see  in  advance,  just  what  that 
end  was  going  to  be.  Her  " fledgelings"  had 
grown  up  and  fled  to  different  parts,  to  take  up 
their  life 's  work.  One  by  one,  others  had  come 
along  and  had  helped  to  fill  in.  One  by  one,  they 
too  had  drifted  on  to  make  room  for  others. 
Yet  each  page  lived  vividly  in  her  memory  and 
the  re-reading  of  those  past  pages  was  sweet 
solace  to  her  as  she  stood,  quite  alone,  in  her 
work — more  feeble  at  times,  than  she  imagined. 

The  coming  event — Forrest's  wedding — was 
like  a  stimulant  to  her.  It  brightened  her  dim 
eyes.  It  sent  a  glow  of  colour  to  her  tanned 
cheeks.  Her  hand  was  steadier  when  cooking 
a  batch  of  extras.  Everybody  she  could  reach 
by  message  she  requested  to  be  at  Cottage  Home 
the  tenth  of  June.  That  was  the  day  set  for 
Forrest's  wedding — the  climax  of  her  life,  as 
she  often  termed  it  to  herself.  Of  course,  she 
had  planned  Maud's  wedding  to  come  off  the 
same  day,  but  that  was  only  to  be  a  rehearsal 
for  the  real  event. 

She  had  given  orders  to  all  coming  down  from 
the  mountains,  to  bring  ferns  and  evergreen 
branches  for  the  big  corner  room,  where  the 
wedding  was  to  take  place.  The  dining-room 
was  to  be  the  banquet-hall.  The  big,  silent  men 


236      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

from  the  mountains  and  ranches  looked  upon  her 
preparations  with  expressions  of  awe  and  dis- 
gust. 

The  old  little  lady  with  the  basket  of  flowers, 
thought  the  big  room  was  not  just  the  proper 
place  for  a  wedding — having  seen  it  used  as  a 
hospital  and  a  morgue  so  many  times. 

But  Mother  Lee  thought  otherwise.  She 
openly  declared  that  no  sin  had  been  committed 
there  and  that  the  spirits  of  all  who  had  lain 
there  in  state  would  be  perfectly  willing  to  dance 
at  Forrest's  wedding. 

Mother  Lee  was  pleased  when  she  watched  the 
return  of  Bardoff  and  Maud.  With  folded  arms 
she  listened  to  Maud's  excited  explanation  of 
their  doings. 

"Oh,  it's  a  dream!  About  the  dooryard  we 
planted  green  ferns.  We  made  a  sort  of  bridal 
path  of  them.  The  weather  is  still  cool  enough, 
so  that  they'll  keep  fresh  until  after  the  wed- 
ding. Did  the  real  orange  blossoms  come  ? ' '  she 
continued,  in  a  single  breath. 

"Yes,  Reverend  Knight  has  them  in  his  keep- 
ing." 

*  'I  wish  I  could  peep  at  them. ' ' 

"But  you  can't.  He  carried  them  out  to  the 
foothills,  I  guess.  I  am  afraid  every  morning 
that  he'll  wander  off  and  forget  to  return.  I 
keep  him  under  the  impression  that  after  the 
wedding  he  will  have  a  funeral  ceremony  to  per- 
form." 


A  LITTLE  BROWN  CASTLE        237 

1 '  Funeral  ?    Don 't  talk  about  Death ! ' ' 

1  *  Why  not  I  Just  as  beautiful  to  talk  about  as 
weddings  only  we  can't  school  ourselves  to  think 
so.  Death  means  the  opening  of  another  pair  of 
gates  at  the  end  of  a  long  life.  Of  course  death 
coming  to  the  young  is  an  accident  and  it's  the 
accidents  that  have  taught  us  to  be  sad.  Noth- 
ing to  me  would  be  greater  to  end  my  life  than 
a  sermon  from  the  same  lips  that  will  perform 
at  the  coming  weddings." 

Maud  looked  a  little  uneasy.  She  too,  in- 
stinctively felt  that  Mother  Lee  was  gradually 
preparing  her  end.  Her  trip  across  the  snowy 
range  as  she  commonly  alluded  to  it,  was  suffi- 
ciently evident.  It  was  in  Maud's  mind  to 
change  the  morbid  subject  as  quickly  as  possible, 
so  she  burst  out  happily : 

"I  wish  you  could  have  seen  Fern  arranging 
her  beautiful  things.  If  they  had  come  from 
Heaven  they  couldn't  have  been  more  beautiful. 
And  I  just  had  to  stand  and  watch  her  soft  white 
hands  fix  them  into  place.  I  was  afraid  to  touch 
them  for  fear  of  leaving  spots.  Of  course  I  did 
all  the  lifting  and  heavy  work.  I  have  dreamed 
of  Princes '  palaces  but  nothing  ever  came  up  to 
what  I've  seen  in  that  'Little  Brown  Castle  in 
the  Skies.'  It's  all  brown  and  rough  outside. 
Looks  like  square  pictures  from  thousands  of 
different  kinds  of  trees.  But  that's  because  of 
the  way  the  wood  is  carved.  And  then,  to  open 
that  door  and  look  in — well,  you'd  be  bound  to 


238       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

hesitate  about  entering  for  fear  you  might  feel 
out  of  place.  But  Fern  looks  just  like  she  be- 
longed there.  Her  eyes  are  so  big  and  blue,  and 
her  skin  so  pretty  and  lily-like.  Her  voice  is  so 
sweet  and  her  touch  is  so  gentle.  She  appears 
more  like  an  angel  than  a  human  being,  like  us. 
Oh,  shucks !  I've  six  more  shirts  to  iron  before 
dark." 

Bardoff,  who  had  only  stopped  long  enough 
for  Maud  to  jump  down,  came  to  the  Mtchen  on 
his  way  back  from  the  General  Store.  Mother 
Lee  put  a  loaf  of  bread  in  a  clean  cloth  and 
handed  it  to  him. 

"Take  that  until  you're  better  paid." 


CHAPTER 

HER  LIFE'S  SUNSET 


H 


«  *  TT  TT  ow  beautifully  Forrest's  life  has 
developed,"  thought  Mother  Lee, 
as  she  paused  to  view  the  big, 
_  corner  room  and  its  decorations 
of  wild,  mountain  foliage. 

"The  tenth  of  June  —  Forrest's  wedding  day! 
I  can  hardly  realise  how  time  has  passed.  '  ' 

She  spoke  aloud  to  Ida  and  Rose  who  had 
come  in  to  help  her  with  the  wedding  prelim- 
inaries. 

"How  does  everything  look?"  asked  Ida. 

"Fit  for  the  kings!" 

"You  didn't  go  to  all  this  trouble  when  you 
married  me  off,  '  '  laughed  Ida. 

"You  were  in  too  much  of  a  hurry,"  smiled 
Mother  Lee.  "Besides  you  got  along  just  as 
well,"  —  playfully  pointing  to  a  couple  of  chil- 
dren pulling  at  Ida's  skirt. 

Mother  Lee  went  back  to  the  kitchen  to  super- 
intend the  cooking  of  a  big  dinner,  but  she  was 
pushed  gently  away  and  told  that  she  should 
play  lady,  that  day,  and  watch  for  Forrest's 
return. 

239 


240       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

"Suppose  he  should  miss  his  train, "  spoke 
Maud,  in  her  usual  pessimistic  way. 

"There  you  go,  stirring  up  your  imagina- 
tion. " 

The  day,  to  Mother  Lee,  had  an  odd  beginning 
— sitting  there  watching  so  many  people  about 
Cottage  Home — men,  women  and  children.  She 
had  never  realised  that  she  had  known  so  many 
families.  It  came  to  her  mind  that  the  little 
town  below  her  must  have  grown.  She  had  not 
been  there  for  a  long,  long  while.  As  days 
turned  into  weeks  and  weeks  into  months,  it  did 
not  occur  to  her  that  some  one  had  always  been 
ready  to  do  her  errands  and  since  she  only  ac- 
commodated the  few  silent  men  from  the  hills 
who  waited  upon  themselves,  it  had  never  oc- 
curred to  her  that  she  was  growing  older  and 
feebler  most  rapidly.  So  easily  and  so  uncon- 
sciously had  time  passed,  she  was  not  aware  that 
she  continued  her  work  through  the  activity  of 
her  mind.  She  imagined  that  she  was  going 
about,  doing  as  much  work  as  when  she  was 
younger. 

Seventy-eight  years  old!  The  little  worn 
Bible  which  lay  wrapped  in  a  baby's  stocking, 
gave  her  age,  the  ages  of  the  rest  of  her  family 
and  "fledgelings,"  down  as  far  as  Forrest's. 
His  name  was  the  last  on  the  long  list.  Forrest 
Berkley — child  of  the  pines.  She  had  never 
thought  of  him  as  a  child  of  parents,  but  of  the 
great  moaning  pines  that  stood  out  so  strong 


HEE  LIFE'S  SUNSET  241 

and  towered  above  all  the  other  trees  of  the 
mountains.  Her  Forrest,  whom  she  had  raised 
from  a  tiny  little  brown  thing  in  the  arms  of 
Old  Dave  to  a  big  brown  man  who  was  ready  to 
take  unto  himself  a  wife. 

The  train  whistled.    Every  one  started. 

"He'll  soon  be  here!" 

They  closed  the  door  and  quieted  down  to  sur- 
prise him. 

Mother  Lee,  all  smiles,  sat  in  the  centre  of  a 
roomful  of  happy  people. 

"It  will  only  take  a  few  minutes  for  him  to 
get  here." 

"Listen!    I  think  he's  coming." 

' '  No,  that 's  one  of  the  men  going  to  the  barn, ' ' 
— were  some  of  the  whispered  remarks  that  fol- 
lowed until  one  of  the  women  was  sure  that 
something  had  happened  to  him. 

Maud  went  out  to  question  her  sweetheart. 
It  was  more  of  an  excuse  to  see  him  alone  for  a 
few  minutes  before  her  wedding.  She  wore 
her  white  lawn  dress,  trimmed  with  pink  rib- 
bons, and  was  ready  for  her  part  of  the  pro- 
gramme. 

Little  Fern  was  not  expected  until  twelve 
o  'clock — high  noon.  She  was  to  be  accompanied 
by  Bardoff  who  was  to  act  as  "father"  and 
escort. 

At  first  it  was  a  sad  disappointment  to  Mrs. 
Dale,  that  her  daughter  should  have  a  wedding 
away  from  home,  but  it  had  been  Mother  Lee 's 


wish  from  the  very  beginning  to  give  the  Wed- 
ding Feast.  So  it  was  planned  satisfactorily 
that  Fern  and  Forrest  were  to  join  Mrs.  Dale 
in  a  private  wedding  supper  later  in  the  after- 
noon, before  going  to  their  "  Little  Brown  Castle 
in  the  Skies." 

When  Mand  returned,  there  was  an  anxious 
expression  on  her  face. 

"The  train  has  come  and  gone,  and  no  For- 
rest. And  it's  the  only  passenger  train  to- 
day!" 

"Don't  get  excited  and  commence  worrying! 
He'll  come  if  he  has  to  walk" — insisted  Mother 
Lee.  ' '  That  boy  is  made  of  that  kind  of  stuff. ' ' 

"But  it's  eleven-thirty,  and  the  bride  will  be 
here  at  twelve ! ' ' 

"A  half  hour  is  as  good  as  a  week.  Here 
Maud — get  'Homer  the  Great'  and  start  with 
your  wedding.  Reverend  Knight  is  getting 
fidgety  and  I'm  afraid  he'll  take  another  no- 
tion to  walk. ' ' 

Maud,  in  a  matter-of-fact  way,  went  to  the 
kitchen  door  and  called  at  the  top  of  her  voice : 

"Come  on,  Homer!" 

The  young,  smooth-faced  Homer,  much  thin- 
ner and  weaker  in  appearance  than  Maud,  al- 
though older,  hurried  forward ;  calling  to  a  few 
of  his  companions: 

"Come  in,  boys.    They're  ready  for  us." 

The  boys  followed  into  the  kitchen  and  a  smile 
of  pride  settled  over  Mother  Lee's  face  as  she 


HEE  LIFE'S  SUNSET  243 

scented  barber's  perfume.  Ida,  the  mistress  of 
ceremonies,  went  out  and  spoke  to  Reverend 
Knight,  who  took  off  his  glasses,  wiped  them 
with  a  silk  handkerchief  and  followed  with  a 
dignified  stride. 

There  was  a  rush  for  the  big  corner  room. 

Mother  Lee,  the  last  to  enter,  sat  down  near 
the  door. 

All  attention  was  centred  upon  Maud  and  Ho- 
mer, who  stood  before  Reverend  Knight.  But 
in  the  midst  of  the  ceremony,  some  one's  atten- 
tion was  drawn  to  the  main  road.  It  was  Ida. 
She  nudged  Rose,  at  her  elbow,  and  then  tip- 
toed out  through  the  kitchen  onto  the  porch. 
Rose  quickly  followed.  Some  one  else  looked 
out  and  left  the  room. 

"What's  the  commotion  out  there!"  called 
out  Mother  Lee. 

"Come  quick,  everybody!" 

Maud  and  Homer  forgot  what  they  were  do- 
ing and  rushed  to  the  door  to  ascertain  the 
meaning  of  the  excitement. 

Mother  Lee  and  the  astonished  Reverend 
Knight  were  all  who  remained. 

"Go  see  what's  up!"  almost  demanded 
Mother  Lee. 

The  minister  looked  out  and  a  second  later 
was  also  staring  in  the  direction  of  the  road. 

Mother  Lee  gained  her  feet  laboriously  and 
made  her  way  to  the  door.  Her  face  became 
radiant  with  smiles. 


Coming  down  the  drive,  perched  high  on  the 
seat  of  his  new  lumber  wagon  which  was  deco- 
rated with  every  conceivable  branch  of  the  for- 
est, was  Bardoif,  dressed  in  a  new  black  suit — 
his  red  hair  and  whiskers  which  but  recently 
had  been  washed  glistening  conspicuously  in  the 
sunlight.  A  little  farther  back,  came  Fern,  a 
vision  of  white  veiling,  on  her  prancing  white 
pony,  generously  bedecked  with  garlands  of 
green  ferns.  The  beautiful  sight  held  the  group 
of  watchers  spellbound,  until  the  little  proces- 
sion reached  them. 

Several  women  pushed  their  husbands  for- 
ward to  assist  the  bride  from  her  horse.  They 
playfully  formed  a  seat  with  their  hands  and 
carried  Fern  to  the  excited  group.  A  circle  was 
instantly  formed  about  her  and  a  more  beauti- 
ful flower  from  Heaven  could  not  have  fallen 
among  them. 

Her  eyes  fairly  danced  in  her  happiness  as 
she  spoke  to  everybody.  Going  to  Mother  Lee, 
last,  she  kissed  her  cheek. 

Then  a  baffled  expression  filled  each  face. 

' '  Forrest !    Where  is  he  ! '  ' 

Fern  overheard  the  exclamation  and  turned 
toward  them,  but  Mother  Lee  drew  her 
back. 

1 '  Don 't  mind  them.  They  don 't  know  Forrest 
as  we  do." 

There  was  a  sudden  lull.  No  one  seemed  to 
stir.  What  could  they  say?  WThat  could  they 


HER  LIFE'S  SUNSET  245 

do?  Five  minutes  to  twelve  and  no  Forrest  in 
sight. 

Mother  Lee's  heart  beat  rapidly  against  her 
side  for  the  first  time  in  her  memory.  It  came 
to  her  mind  that  Forrest  might  have  met  with 
an  accident  but  she  dismissed  the  thought. 
Nothing  like  that  could  happen  to  mar  the  sub- 
limity of  that  perfect  day — her  day — the  crisis 
of  her  life. 

* '  No,  nothing  could  happen, ' '  she  murmured. 

She  shook  Fern,  who  was  gradually  betraying 
a  feeling  of  anxiety,  a  little  roughly. 

" Behave  yourself!  Many  a  life  has  been 
saved  on  the  Gallows  at  the  critical  moment. ' ' 

An  excited  cry  of  joy  brought  Mother  Lee  and 
Fern  farther  out  onto  the  porch  to  see  Forrest 
at  the  steering  wheel  of  a  big  black  automobile 
coming  down  the  road  like  mad.  He  was  bare- 
headed, as  usual,  and  the  wind  was  fanning  his 
black  hair  from  his  face,  which  portrayed  an 
expression  of  life  or  death.  Before  the  assem- 
blage could  realise,  he  had  driven  the  car  over 
the  lawn  and  had  stopped  directly  at  the  kitchen 
door.  He  saw  no  one,  apparently,  except 
Mother  Lee  and  Fern.  He  acted  as  if  he  had 
committed  some  great  crime  and  was  looking  to 
them  for  forgiveness. 

Mother  Lee's  smile  and  Fern's  delight,  in- 
stantly set  him  at  ease,  and  he  began  explain- 
ing his  experience,  as  a  new  driver,  along  a 
strange  road. 


Fern,  with  several  others,  hurried  to  the  side 
of  the  new  car,  which  was  loaded  with  roses. 

"I  thought  I'd  never  make  it.  The  car  got 
balky  down  the  road  and  once  I  thought  I'd 
have  to  come  on  foot." 

While  Forrest  stood  talking  to  Mother  Lee 
and  Fern,  Bardoff  was  examining  the  car.  The 
rest  had  entered  the  big  corner  room  and  were 
again  witnessing  the  marriage  of  Maud  and  Ho- 
mer. 

The  minister  had  forgotten  where  he  left 
off  but  that  did  not  seem  to  disturb  Maud,  so 
long  as  the  big  band  ring  was  placed  on  her 
finger. 

When  they  were  ready  for  the  "real"  wed- 
ding, Mother  Lee  turned  and  whispered  to  For- 
rest. 

He  removed  a  linen  duster  and  stood  in  full 
evening  dress,  much  to  the  amazement  of  the 
bystanders. 

She  nodded  toward  the  big  square  room. 
Forrest  peeped  in  and  when  he  turned  to  look 
into  Mother  Lee's  kind  eyes,  there  were  tears 
glistening  in  his  own — so  touched  was  he  at  the 
strange  yet  appropriate  decorations  of  pine 
boughs  and  ferns.  With  grace  and  ease,  For- 
rest adjusted  his  collar  and  tie  and  from  con- 
stant habit  ran  his  fingers  through  his  heavy 
black  hair.  He  leaned  over  and  kissed  Mother 
Lee,  then  walked  into  the  room.  She  motioned 
to  Bardoff,  who  stood  in  the  kitchen  with  Fern, 


HER  LIFE'S  SUNSET  247 

ready  for  the  " Altar  March"  in  which,  Mother 
Lee  had  previously  rehearsed  him. 

Fern  breathed  a  happy  exclamation — she  was 
so  proud  of  Forrest.  She  was  wishing  that  her 
mother  could  see  him  as  she  saw  him  stand- 
ing in  the  big  room  at  the  pine-bough  Altar 
waiting  for  her  to  come  to  him,  that  the  minister 
might  unite  them  for  life.  It  all  passed  like  a 
beautiful  dream  to  her — the  soft  low  questions 
of  Reverend  Knight — the  little  gold  ring  slipped 
upon  her  finger — the  hugs  and  kisses  of  every 
one — and  later,  the  feast  around  the  big  table — 
the  laughing  and  talking  of  all  the  good,  homely 
people  with  their  careless  manners  and  unedu- 
cated speeches — Mother  Lee,  at  the  other  end  of 
the  table,  alone,  her  wrinkled  face  radiant  with 
smiles, — the  children  scrambling  for  the  good 
things — the  tiny  babies,  some  nursing  while  their 
mothers'  free  arms  reached  out  for  delicacies 
to  taste  and  comment  upon — the  big,  silent  men 
of  the  mountains,  mostly  bachelors,  forced  in 
among  the  rest,  with  eyes  glued  to  their  plates 
and  eating  because  they  were  hungry. 

To  Mother  Lee,  also,  it  all  passed  like  a  beau- 
tiful dream.  To  her,  it  was  not  only  a  wedding, 
but  an  ending.  Her  ending!  for  she  knew  she 
would  never  go  through  such  another  feast.  In 
each  face  she  read  some  personal  interest,  for 
she  held  so  many  of  their  secrets.  Still  in  her 
dream,  she  watched  one  by  one  vanish  from  the 
table — then  the  clearing  away  of  the  dishes — the 


248      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

washing  of  them  and  the  replacing  of  many  of 
them  in  ranch  wagons — the  children's  voices 
diminishing  as  they  went  from  the  house  to  the 
yard — the  departure  of  Forrest  and  Fern  in 
their  flower-lined  automobile — and  of  Homer 
and  Maud  in  their  phaeton — the  calls  and  laugh- 
ter until  all  were  out  of  sight — then  the  tak- 
ing away  of  the  decorations  so  that  she  would 
not  have  the  after-work, — the  gradual  lessening 
of  voices  as  the  guests  drove  away  to  their  re- 
spective homes.  She  quietly  sat  watching  her 
joys  fade  away,  and  no  one  had  noticed,  or  had 
given  it  a  second  thought  that  Mother  Lee  stood 
alone  at  the  kitchen  door  waving  her  hand  to  the 
last  visitor  of  the  day. 

It  was  sun-down,  and  the  western  sky  held 
white,  fleecy  clouds  against  the  pure  blue  back- 
ground— a  perfect  counterpart  of  the  day's 
feast,  for  she  easily  formed  a  perfect  image  of 
purity  from  all  that  had  transpired  in  the  past 
few  hours.  She  thought,  deep  in  her  breast, 
how  Christ  must  have  felt  at  the  last  supper. 
Alone  with  His  thoughts.  Always  alone :  with 
the  knowledge  that  in  the  minds  of  those  about 
Him,  it  was  perfectly  right  that  He  should  be 
alone.  In  God's  mind,  perhaps,  it  is  right  for 
some  of  us  to  walk  alone.  The  consolation 
seemed,  by  far,  more  comforting  to  her  than  had 
the  whole  gathering  come  back  to  brush  away 
her  sorrow.  With  her  usual  self-control,  she 
cut  loose  the  heart  strings  of  her  lingering  vision 


HEK  LIFE'S  SUNSET  249 

and  walked  to  the  corner  of  the  porch  and  looked 
toward  the  wood-pile.  "  Sweet  William"  was 
the  last  living  soul  she  could  command  and  her 
natural  inclination  was  to  scold.  It  was  her  life. 

' '  Get  into  the  house ! ' ' 

The  little  withered  man  with  closely  set  eyes 
crouched  and  peered  up  at  her  as  he  feebly 
obeyed. 

" Don't  chatter— talk!" 

After  the  man  was  safely  upstairs  she  slowly 
made  her  way  to  the  side  porch  where  Eeverend 
Knight  generally  spent  most  of  his  time,  and 
peering  out,  said: 

"  Better  get  upstairs  before  you  begin  walk- 
ing in  your  sleep!" 

A  silence  fell  over  all  and  a  deeper  darkness 
crept  down  from  the  black  forest  above  and  for 
a  time  completely  swallowed  up  every  trace  of 
Cottage  Home. 


CHAPTER  XXXT 

OUT  OF  THE  BUT 


*  <^f  *WT  "^HEN  you  come  to  the  conclu^ 
^  V^  /  sion  that  your  lot  is  the  worst 
^L/  ^L/  in  the  world,  just  look  about 
^  ^  y°u  and  you're  sure  to  find 
somebody  worse  off  than  yourself.  You  have 
your  health  and  that's  the  main-spring  in  life's 
machinery.  You're  only  in  a  rut.  Don't  bor- 
row any  more  money  and  get  deeper  into  the 
hole !  Get  yourself  a  job  and  dig  your  way  out 
of  your  predicament!  That's  a  fine  piece  of 
book-keeping" — picking  up  a  note  book  from  the 
table.  "Your  figures  are  perfect  and  your  writ- 
ing just  like  print.  'Bob,  forty  dollars;  Sam, 
twenty-six,  fifty;  Homer,  ten — ' — all  on  the 
wrong  side  of  the  ledger.  Why  in  thunderation 
don't  you  go  to  work  and  pay  'em  back  instead  of 
copying  them  from  one  book  to  another  as  I  have 
seen  you  do  so  many  times.  It's  a  waste  of 
energy,  as  well  as  a  bad  beginning.  Turn  over 
a  new  leaf  and  get  started  in  the  right  direction ! 
Become  a  lender,  not  a  borrower,  if  you  must 
dabble  in  money ! ' ' 

250 


OUT  OF  THE  BUT  251 

Mother  Lee  looked  upon  the  bowed  head  of  a 
young  man,  who,  more  or  less,  had  been  one  of 
her  fledgelings. 

The  youth  shifted  his  chin  more  comfortably 
into  the  palms  of  his  hands  and  stared  blankly : 

"I've  tried  to  get  work," — he  finally  an- 
swered. 

"No,  you  just  imagine  you  tried.  There's 
that  new  sugar-mill  about  to  start  up.  Curb 
your  pride  and  haul  beets,  if  you  can't  find  any- 
thing else  to  do!  Bring  your  money  to  me! 
I'll  be  your  banker  until  you  get  on  your  feet. 
It  seems  a  pity  that  a  bright  young  feller  like 
you  should  hang  your  head  and  mope  like  a 
woman.  For  shame!  Work's  the  only  salva- 
tion for  you — the  only  remedy  that  will  save  you 
from  a  miserable  life.  Start  a  system.  First, 
work!  Second,  pay  your  debts!  Third,  save 
your  money !  Fourth,  buy  a  home !  Fifth,  meet 
the  little  girl  who  is  waiting  for  you  up  yonder 
on  the  hill !  Sixth,  marry  her." 

"What  little  girl?" 

"Well,  never  mind  thinking  about  number 
six  until  you  come  to  it.  She's  there  all  right, 
waiting  for  you  to  come  along  to  ask  her  to  be 
your  wife." 

"I  don't  know  any  such  girl." 

"Well,  I'll  bet  Cottage  Home  against  them  un- 
paid bills  of  yours,  that,  after  you've  reached 
the  sixth  rung  of  the  ladder  I've  built  for  you, 
you'll  know  all  about  her." 


252      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

The  young  man  slowly  arose  but  immediately 
sank  against  the  wall  in  a  thoughtful  mood. 

' '  There,  you  're  at  it  again. ' ' 

"What!" 

"Moping.  It's  only  a  disease.  All  you  need 
is  a  proper  tonic.  When  you  take  a  notion  to 
sit  down,  stand  up  on  your  legs.  Go  right  out 
now  and  do  not  eat  or  drink  until  you  know  that 
you  have  a  job — then  come  back." 

She  pointed  her  finger. 

"Don't  ever  darken  my  door  until  you  do. 
Be  gone,  you  lazy  feller!  You're  no  credit  to 
any  one." 

A  look  of  surprise  brightened  the  young  man 's 
eyes.  He  had  never  been  called  a  lazy  fellow. 
He  half  expected  Mother  Lee  to  modify  her 
sternness  but  she  still  pointed  toward  the  door. 

"Hurry  out!  Close  the  screen  from  the  out- 
side !  The  flies  are  coming  in.  There  are  two 
things  that  I  detest — flies  and  disappointments. 
I'll  have  neither  under  my  roof." 

The  youth  went  out  and  she  resumed  her  task, 
sitting  most  of  the  time.  There  was,  however, 
a  strong  feeling  of  sympathy  in  her  heart.  She 
understood  his  weakness  and  was  at  a  loss  how 
to  help  him.  She  kept  her  eyes  upon  him  as 
he  stood  at  the  corner  of  the  porch,  his  hands 
in  his  pockets  and  his  eyes  upon  the  ground. 
He  had  again  lapsed  into  a  dreamy  mood. 

*  *  Hurry  along !  There 's  grass  growing  under 
your  feet. ' ' 


OUT  OF  THE  RUT  253 

Her  voice  startled  him. 

He  braced  up  and  disappeared  toward  town. 

The  honking  of  a  horn  caused  Mother  Lee  to 
again  look  out. 

Forrest  and  Fern  had  driven  up.  There  were 
no  roses  in  the  automobile  this  time.  But  a 
steady  sensible  couple  alighted  and  entered  the 
kitchen. 

"Mother  Lee!" — burst  out  Fern  happily. 
"  Forrest  is  to  be  overseer  of  the  new  road 
through  our  land  which  is  to  lead  into  the  new 
park ! ' ' 

"That's  good," — quietly  answered  Mother 
Lee.  * '  Now  you  '11  need  a  lot  of  men ' ' — turning 
her  direct  attention  to  Forrest. 

"Why— yes." 

He  seemed  to  know  just  what  Mother  Lee 
wanted. 

"There's  young  Crawford," — she  went  on. 
"He's  just  started  out  looking  for  work.  And 
there's  old  Bennett  and  Cross  out  there  in  the 
*  cooler. '  I  think  if  they  were  taken  up  in  them 
mountains  we  could  at  least  save  them  from  the 
tremens. ' ' 

"Young  Crawford  is  the  very  man  I  need. 
He's  a  good  book-keeper." 

"I '11  vouch  for  that." 

"There's  a  good  chance  for  advancement,  if 
he  only  quits  his  dreaming. ' ' 

"I  think  he  will  by  prodding  him  up  now  and 
then." 


254      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

Forrest  hurried  out  and  down  to  the  village. 

Little  Fern  began  helping  Mother  Lee  with 
dinner,  the  while  talking  about  their  new  happi- 
ness in  the  "Little  Brown  Castle  in  the  Skies." 

"And  to  think  that  our  little  home  is  to  be  at 
the  entrance  to  the  new  park!" 

"Have  they  started  on  that  million  dollar 
hotel  yet?" 

"Oh,  yes." 

"What  does  it  look  like?" 

"Just  a  beautiful  big  building.  When  are 
you  coming  to  visit  us?" 

"Some  day  you  will  see  Babe  and  me  com- 
ing over  the  brow  of  them  hills. ' ' 

"Alone!  Oh,  you  mustn't  try  to  come  alone 
with  Babe.  We  '11  call  for  you  in  the  machine. ' ' 

Mother  Lee  did  not  answer.  Her  attention 
was  drawn  to  a  pot,  that  was  boiling  over. 

Young  Crawford,  who  returned  with  Forrest, 
hesitated  at  the  kitchen  porch  and  said: 

*  *  Can  I  darken  your  door  f    I  've  found  a  job. ' ' 

"What  job" — staring  blankly  at  him;  having 
forgotten  her  former  conversation  with  Forrest. 

"The  job  you  found  for  me." 

"I'm  mighty  glad  you  had  gumption  enough 
to  accept  it." 

"Well,  I'm  going  to  hang  right  on  to  it." 

There  seemed  to  be  a  tone  of  resolution  in  the 
youth's  voice. 

"Now  go  and  tell  the  Marshal  to  release  old 
Bennett  and  his  shadow — Cross !  Tell  him  that 


OUT  OF  THE  BUT  255 

I'll  be  responsible  for  their  future  conduct! 
Then  come  to  your  dinner ! ' ' 

The  jubilant  strain  in  young  Crawford's  whis- 
tle caused  M other  Lee  to  smile. 

"If  we  can  only  make  it  last.  Keep  prodding 
him  up,  Forrest,  and  we  will  make  a  man  of  him 
yet.  Who 's  that  coming  in  the  gate  ? ' ' 

"Maud,  with  a  load  of  wheat." 

'  *  Good  gracious !    Is  threshing  over  f ' ' 

"Yes.  And  six  months  of  our  married  life  is 
threshed  away," — said  Forrest,  looking  play- 
fully at  Fern. 

"She's  like  an  ox,"— continued  Forrest. 

"Who!"  questioned  Fern,  astonished. 

"Maud.  She  does  most  of  the  work  on  their 
new  ranch,  besides  her  housework,  I'm  told." 

"While  Homer  sets  traps,  I  suppose," — 
smiled  Mother  Lee. 

"I  wish  I  were  strong,  like  Maud.  I  could 
help  you  more  than  I  do," — daintily  interrupted 
Fern. 

"I  don't.  It  knocks  all  the  sentiment  out  of 
a  man's  life  to  have  a  woman  out-do  him." 

"Don't  boast,  Forrest,  because  God  made  you 
big  and  strong," — spoke  Mother  Lee. 

"I'd  better  help  Maud  unhitch," — ashamed 
of  his  last  remark. 

"Stay  where  you  are!" — interrupted  young 
Crawford,  who  had  returned  and  was  standing 
in  the  doorway.  As  he  started,  he  called  back 
to  Mother  Lee. 


256      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

' '  The  Marshal  said  he  will  see  you  this  after- 
noon." 

"What  a  little  thing,  coming  into  a  man's  life, 
sometimes,  will  do.  Work !  What  a  small  item 
to  make  snch  a  big  change  in  one." 

Mother  Lee  was  looking  toward  the  wood- 
pile. 

"Go  fetch  me  a  pitch  knot,  Forrest!" 

With  a  bound  Forrest  rushed  out  and  soon  re- 
turned with  an  armful  of  cut  wood. 

"Your  pile  is  getting  low,  Mother  Lee." 

' '  The  ebb  in  general  is  fast  diminishing  about 
Cottage  Home.  I  see,  since  I've  been  looking 
through  them  field-glasses,  that  a  portion  of 
the  fence  has  rotted  away — the  'cooler'  is  sliding 
down  hill — the  lawn  needs  cutting  and  that  old 
'century  plant'  still  hovers  over  the  wood-pile. 
And  look!  They  have  built  that  lumber  yard 
against  my  property.  They've  been  trying  to 
buy  me  out  for  the  past  two  years,  and  since 
they've  built  that  railroad  before  my  door  to 
accommodate  the  new  sugar  mill,  I  have  only 
smoke — noise — and  tramps  at  this  door.  'De- 
catur*  thinks  I  should  sell,  but  so  long  as  I  live 
that  sign  shall  stay  above  my  door.  As  long 
as  I  can  cook,  I'll  feed.  I  can  see  that  they 
are  trying  to  freeze  me  out,  but  I'm  still  the  old 
weather  battler.  As  long  as  I  live  I  shall  re- 
main so.  Here!  Dish  up  your  plates  from 
the  pot  and  eat !  Take  a  cup  of  soup  out  to  that 


OUT  OF  THE  BUT  257 


weather-vane  on  the  wood-pile.  That 's  as  near 
the  house  as  I  can  get  him,  in  daylight." 

Later,  Forrest  chanced  to  say  a  few  words  of 
comfort  to  Mother  Lee. 

"I'll  have  a  man  fix  everything  about  the 
place — cut  up  a  lot  of  wood  and  get  you  all  set 
for  the  winter," — knowing  well,  in  his  heart, 
that  to  suggest  taking  her  away  from  Cottage 
Home  would  be  useless. 


CHAPTER 


I 


f  THE  BTJTUAL  OF  SWEET  WILLIAM 

4  '  "^f  'M  glad  —  glad  in  my  heart  that  he  de- 
cided to  die  in  bed.  There  's  a  dark 
suit  in  that  closet.  Go  fetch  it  here  and 
I  '11  sew  some  buttons  on  it  !  I  took  them 
off  of  Jim  Thompson's  sweater.  These  'ere 
brown  ones  are  not  exactly  a  match,  but  what's 
the  difference  ?  He  wasn  't  particular.  '  ' 

Mother  Lee,  unable  to  leave  her  chair,  having 
strained  her  back,  sat  at  the  south  window  in  the 
kitchen  while  Frank,  an  adopted  son  of  years 
back,  waited  on  her.  He  had  been  *  '  Chief  cook 
and  bottle  washer"  as  he  always  termed  it,  and 
followed  the  cooking  car,  cooking  for  the  thresh- 
ers most  of  his  working  days.  So  "slinging 
hash"  for  Mother  Lee,  was  no  trouble  at  all,  but 
to  conduct  a  funeral  was  entirely  out  of  his  line. 
It  was  about  all  Mother  Lee  could  do  to  keep 
him  in  the  house  while  the  body  of  "  Sweet  Wil- 
liam '  '  lay  in  state.  That  was  Mother  Lee  's  gen- 
eral way  of  putting  it. 

"The  Lord  intended  we  should  take  care  of 
our  dead  as  we  do  our  born." 

"I'll  have  nothing  to  do  with  either,"  — 
shouted  Frank.  "Send  him  to  town,  some- 

258 


where,  anywhere,  only  get  him  out  of  the 
house!" 

"Why  send  him  away?  He  lived  here.  We 
took  him  in  as  one  of  our  own.  He  died  here, 
and  from  here  he  will  be  buried  with  as  much 
pomp  as  the  next  one." 

Frank  pulled  nervously  at  his  moustache,  and 
answered : 

"What  do  you  expect  me  to  do  with  this 
suit?" 

"Go,  put  it  on  him." 

"Not  by  a  damn  sight!" 

"You'll  have  to — we're  all  alone.  I  can't  do 
it." 

Frank  made  for  the  door. 

'  *  Where  are  you  going  ? ' ' 

"Out  to  feed  the  horses." 

"There's  no  horses,  except  old  Babe,  and  she 
can  wait.  Come!  Never  shirk  a  duty.  Go  and 
put  that  suit  on — " 

"Hell,  no — "  and  Frank  dove  into  a  pan  of 
dough  and  began  kneading  it. 

"Well,  I'll  have  to  wait  for  Bardoff,  I  sup- 
pose." 

"Yes,  by  all  means.    He's  fond  of  odd  jobs." 

An  hour  later  Mother  Lee  tapped  with  her 
thimble  on  the  windowpane  and  Bardoff  stopped 
his  horses  with  a  jerk,  climbed  down,  sauntered 
up  to  the  kitchen  door  where  he  kicked  the  mud 
and  snow  from  his  overshoes  and  stuck  his  red 
face  inside  the  door. 


260       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

* '  Take  off  them  overshoes  and  come  in ! " 

Bardoff,  after  much  grunting,  entered,  carry- 
ing his  overshoes  and  placing  them  under  the 
stove. 

"I've  a  job  for  you,  Bardoff,  and  you're  the 
only  man  I  know  of  who  can  do  it. ' ' 

"What  is  it?" 

"  'Sweet  William'  died  two  days  ago.  He's 
still  upstairs.  I  had  a  pine  box  sent  up  there 
and  all  I  ask  of  you  is  to  put  this  suit  on  him 
and  lay  him  in  the  box." 

Bardoff  swallowed  hard  and  began  search- 
ing his  pockets. 

"I've  handled  lots  of  carcuses  and  things  but 
not  human  ones.  I — don't — " 

"Now  see  here,  Bardoff,  I've  always  said  that 
you  were  the  only  live  man  in  this  neck  of  the 
land.  Are  you  going  to  back  out  ? ' ' 

"Oh,  no — no,  but  I  don't  know  how  to  get  at 
such  a  job." 

"That  will  not  be  hard.  Frank — Frank, 
where  are  you?" — but  Frank  was  not  to  be 
found. 

Mother  Lee  attempted  to  rise. 

"No  use.  I  never  could  get  up  them  stairs 
to  help  you. ' ' 

"Don't  you  try,  I'll  go  out  and  get  someone 
to  help  me," — and  Bardoff  did  not  wait  to  put 
on  his  overshoes,  but  hurried  to  his  wagon  and 
struck  off  at  top  speed  down  the  road. 

It  was  late  that  afternoon  when  he  returned 


and  on  the  seat  beside  him  was  a  little  man 
bundled  from  head  to  foot. 

Mother  Lee  watched  them  enter  the  gate  and 
come  up  onto  the  porch.  She  scrutinised  the 
stranger,  closely. 

"Here's  an  undertaker.  He'll  do  the  job  up 
without  a  hitch." 

The  small  man  removed  his  heavy  fur-lined 
overcoat  and  then  began  warming  his  small,  dry 
hands  over  the  stove. 

Mother  Lee,  after  a  long,  deliberate  survey  of 
the  undertaker,  took  a  strong  liking  to  him  and 
said  in  firm,  even  tones : 

"You  look  as  if  you  understood  your  busi- 
ness." 

"I  should,  madam.  I've  had  a  world  of  ex- 
perience." 

' '  Well,  if  I  should  die  while  you  're  still  in  the 
community,  I  will  have  Bardoff,  here,  go  fetch 
you.  Now  you'll  find  your  man  upstairs.  Be 
careful!  Them  steps  are  steep.  As  soon  as 
you  get  him  ready,  Bardoff  or  some  of  the  men 
won't  mind  helping  you  fetch  him  down  to  the 
big  corner  room.  I  tried  to  get  him  to  sleep 
there,  where  things  would  be  handier  but  he  in- 
sisted on  the  attic." 

"Don't  worry,  madam.  I'll  handle  him. 
Everything  will  be  over  in  a  jiffy." 

1 1  You  're  a  man  after  my  own  heart, ' ' — smiled 
Mother  Lee  as  she  handed  him  the  suit. 

"How's  Forrest  and  Fern?" — she  asked  of 


Bardoff  after  the  undertaker  had  gone  up- 
stairs. 

" Haven't  seen  much  of  them,  lately.  For- 
rest works  full  time  on  the  road.  So  far  we  've 
had  a  mild  winter  and  the  surveying  goes  right 
on  but  it  will  be  spring  before  much  hauling  can 
be  done." 

*  'How  are  the  roads  up  that  way? ' ' 

"Good,  in  dry  weather,  but  a  son-of-a-gun, 
when  it  rains.  The  clay  sticks  like  glue. ' ' 

The  small  man  reappeared  in  the  doorway. 

"Well,  now,  a  little  lift  and  we  will  be 
through." 

"See  there?    He  hasn't  been  five  minutes." 

"I  wouldn't  be  either  if  I  was  skinning  a 
calf." 

Frank  entered  the  kitchen  and  looked  nerv- 
ously about. 

' '  You  're  just  in  time — ' ' 

"Not  me!  I've  got  all  I  can  do  now," — 
bounding  out  into  the  cold,  swearing  beneath 
his  breath. 

Bardoff  was  forced,  in  the  absence  of  every 
one  else,  to  follow  the  undertaker  upstairs. 

Mother  Lee  listened  to  their  slow,  steady, 
heavy  tread  and  to  the  low  warning  voice  of  the 
little  man  until  they  both  again  returned  to  the 
kitchen. 

Bardoff  was  more  talkative,  Mother  Lee 
thought,  than  he  had  ever  been  before. 

The  little  man  began  bundling  up. 


BUBIAL  OF  SWEET  WILLIAM     263 


"I  thiTiV  you'd  better  remain  over  and  finish 
up  the  job.  He'll  lay  there  till  spring,  with  the 
help  I  have  around  here.  Call  Frank  and  have 
him  fetch  the  sexton  —  what  is  your  name!"  — 
and  Mother  Lee  turned  abruptly  to  the  little  un- 
dertaker. 

"  Weber  —  James  W.  Weber." 

Frank  came  in  leisurely,  with  an  armful  of 
wood. 

"Here  Frank,  fetch  Mr.  Weber  a  cup  of  cof- 
fee! Don't  worry,  it's  all  over,"  —  asserted 
Mother  Lee,  a  little  angrily. 

"  That's  all  right,  I'll  cook  for  any  man,  liv- 
ing, but  to  dress  a  dead  man,  I  draw  the  line." 

The  little  undertaker  laughed,  mechanically; 
for  his  main  interest  at  that  moment  was  upon 
the  large  cup  of  coffee  with  pure  cream  —  hot 
bread  —  sweet  butter  and  a  dish  of  preserved 
goose-berries. 

"Put  it  on  one  corner  of  the  kitchen  table. 
It's  warmer  out  here.  Mr.  Weber  doesn't  look 
as  if  his  blood  were  very  thick." 

Mr.  Weber  was  delighted,  for  he  was  hungry 
and  was  soon  eating  heartily. 

Bardoff,  who  had  always  refrained  from 
munching  between  meals,  kept  looking  impa- 
tiently at  the  undertaker. 

"We'd  better  hurry.  It's  getting  late  and 
we've  some  drive  before  us." 

Mr.  Weber  paused  between  swallows. 

"What  arrangements  have  you  made?" 


"All's  necessary.  We've  the  permit  and  the 
hole's  dug." 

" Where's  the  hearse?" 

"Don't  need  one.  Bardoff 's  wagon  will  do. 
I'll  go  after  Wilson," — and  before  any  one  could 
protest,  Frank  was  making  his  way  down  over 
the  hill  toward  town. 

It  was  a  solemn  little  group  that  gathered  in 
the  large  corner  room. 

At  her  own  request  Mother  Lee  was  brought  in 
her  chair  to  the  side  of  the  corpse. 

"He  was  a  good  honest  soul.  He  had  only 
one  fault.  He  would  chatter.  If  that  walking 
pulpit,  Reverend  Knight,  hadn't  disappeared, 
I'd  have  had  a  sermon  preached,  but  as  it  is 
— you  can  say  a  few  words,  Mr.  Weber,  to  show 
our  respects." 

The  little  man  seemed  to  be  waiting  for  the  op- 
portunity, for  he  burst  forth  with  a  well  trained 
voice  and  said  just  the  proper  things,  and  just 
enough  to  please  Frank,  who  was  forced  to  enter 
the  room  with  Wilson,  the  grave-digger,  and 
help  carry  the  black  cloth-covered  box  to  Bard- 
off's  wagon. 

* '  What  are  you  bringing  that  hay  for  f ' '  asked 
Bardoff,  as  he  saw  Frank  coming  from  the  barn. 

1 '  To  put  under  him  so  his  bones  won 't  rattle. ' ' 

Bardoff  took  up  the  lines  and  gave  the  horses 
a  slap. 

Mother  Lee  watched  the  little  group  of  men 
disappear  over  the  hill. 


BUKIAL  OF  SWEET  WILLIAM     265 

"Well,  he's  on  the  beginning  of  his  new  jour- 
ney across  Medicine  Bow  whence  no  traveller  re- 
turns, ' ' — she  murmured  aloud  to  herself.  ' '  The 
winter  will  be  long  and  the  wood-pile  will  be 
covered  with  snow." 


CHAPTER  XXXin 

HER  WILL  WAS  LAW 

"  A  BABE!  A  Son!  Born  in  that 
7%  'Little  Brown  Castle  in  the  Skies ' ! 
/  i^  A  real  diamond  seed  from  the 
A  J^  God-Farmer's  golden  pan!" 

Bardoff  had  stopped  at  Cottage  Home  and 
had  called  out  the  news  against  the  window  pane 
to  Mother  Lee. 

She  sat  for  a  long  time  with  folded  hands 
and  smiled  in  her  thoughts.  She  let  her  mind's 
eye  travel  up  into  the  mountain's  density  and 
into  the  Brown  Castle,  where  lay  a  little  mother, 
Fern.  Mother  Lee  fancied  she  saw  the  big,  fine 
figure  of  Forrest — his  handsome  features 
flushed  in  the  new  kind  of  joy — bending  affec- 
tionately over  mother  and  child.  Would  he 
come  himself?  Would  he  bring  to  her  the 
golden  message?  Hardly  had  she  murmured 
her  thoughts  aloud,  when  she  looked  up  and  saw 
Forrest — hatless,  as  usual ;  his  brown  neck,  chest 
and  arms  bare — coming  like  the  wind  on  his 
black  Jet. 

"A  father  to  a  son!  That  is  the  highest 
tribute  paid  to  man,"  she  said  to  him,  later, 

266 


HER  WILL  WAS  LAW  267 

when  he  sat  caressing  her  hands.  "And  my 
only  wish,  is  that  this  son  shall  live  to  perpet- 
uate his  father's  blood." 

1 l  Thank  you, ' '  said  Forrest ;  then  after  a  mo- 
ment ?s  reflection:  "Fern's  last  words  were: 
'Tell  Mother  Lee  to  send  up  a  name  for  our 
baby.'  " 

"God  love  her!" — and  Mother  Lee  lapsed 
into  study. 

Forrest  sat  back  and  watched  her.  With  a 
sudden  shock  his  eyes  opened  to  a  new  realisa- 
tion. In  the  past  months  he  had  been  so 
wrapped  up  in  his  business  affairs,  he  had  not 
noticed  the  change  that  had  stolen  over  her. 
How  feeble  she  had  grown !  How  very,  very  old 
she  looked !  He  wondered  if  she  would  ever  be 
able  to  walk  again. 

' '  Pine ! ' ' — she  mused  aloud.  * '  Pine  Berkley. 
Pine  is  the  next  sturdy  thing  to  forest,  so  Pine 
he  must  be  called. ' ' 

' '  Fern  will  like  that  name.    I  already  do. ' ' 

Forrest  then  grew  restless  and  made  several 
attempts  to  say  something  about  her  health,  but 
his  voice  choked. 

"Out  with  it.  You  want  to  say  something. 
It  won't  hurt  my  feelings." 

"I'm  worried  about  you.  How  are  you  feel- 
ing?" 

"Much  better.  My  back  is  a  little  lame,  but 
I  shall  be  all  right  in  a  few  days.  Frank  is 
handy  and  fills  the  bill  in  every  way.  The  only 


268      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

thing  that  bothers  him  is,  that  he  is  afraid  I'm 
going  to  die. ' ' 

Mother  Lee  stopped  speaking  to  look  out  of 
the  window. 

"There  comes  'Decatur.'  He's  as  bad  as 
Frank.  They  both  get  me  mad,  the  way  they 
look  at  me." 

"Come  home  with  me !  Fern  wants  you,  and 
I  want  you  to  see  the  baby." 

For  a  few  moments  it  looked  as  if  she  were 
about  to  consent,  but  she  shook  her  head  and  an- 
swered : 

"No,  not  now,  Forrest.  The  trip  might  give 
me  a  back-set,  and  besides,  when  I  come,  I  want 
to  drive  old  Babe  up  there.  She 's  thirty  years 
old,  and  it 's  in  my  mind  to  give  her  an  outing — 
turn  her  loose  in  a  pasture.  Bardoff  has  one 
up  there  on  his  place  where  she  can  run  loose 
the  rest  of  her  natural  days.  Babe  has  always 
wanted  her  own  way  and  there  she  shall  have 
it." 

Forrest  seemed  at  a  loss  for  cheerful  words, 
and  finally  said : 

"But  you  cannot  handle  Babe,  alone.  There 
are  two  creeks  to  ford. ' ' 

A  disappointed  look  clouded  her  brow,  then 
it  instantly  cleared. 

"I'll  keep  her  head  checked  high.  It's  only 
when  she  drinks  that  she  wants  to  lie  down. ' ' 

Mother  Lee  leaned  close  to  Forrest  and  spoke 
lower  as  Dakota  went  to  the  dining-room,  with 


HER  WILL  WAS  LAW  269 

his  plate  of  food,  which  he  had  dished  up  at  the 
stove. 

"  I  Ve  a  reason  for  taking  Babe  away.  They 
have  talked  me  into  the  notion  of  selling  the 
barn.  You  see,  the  barn  is  on  a  line  with  the 
Lumber  Company's  property  and  'Decatur'  says 
they'll  pay  me  a  good  price  for  it." 

A  frown  crossed  Forrest's  face. 

" There!  It's  all  right.  He  needs  some  ex- 
tra money  and  I  don't  need  the  barn." 

Forrest  for  the  first  time  looked  at  the  true 
situation  through  man's  eyes.  From  his  earli- 
est recollection  he  could  now  see  where  her  in- 
terests had  been  centred.  Every  spare  piece  of 
clothing  was  sent  to  Dakota's  ranch.  Every 
morsel  of  spare  food  was  tucked  into  his  grub- 
box  whenever  he  came  to  town.  Forrest  re- 
called having  been  sent  many  times  to  the 
butcher  shop  for  beefsteak  only  to  see  it,  later, 
put  to  one  side  for  Dakota. 

Forrest  watched  the  big  rancher  return  from 
the  dining-room,  set  down  his  plate  and  pass  out 
with  no  comment.  Forrest  frowned  but  kept 
quiet.  He  knew  from  past  experiences  that  Da- 
kota was  not  to  be  reprimanded. 

''He  might  at  least  have  asked  you  how  you 
felt, ' ' — Forrest  could  not  resist  saying. 

"No  one  understands  'Decatur'  like  I  do. 
Poor  boy !  His  life  has  been  a  lonesome  one. ' ' 

Forrest  said  no  more. 

" Frank,  how  much  bread  have  you  on  hand?" 


270       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

"He  doesn't  want  bread.  He  wants  you  to 
go  to  the  hospital," — going  out  and  slamming 
the  door. 

"Frank's  heart  is  in  the  right  place,  but  he 
never  did  understand  'Decatur.'  " 

"Won't  you  come  home  with  me?  I'll  go 
back  and  bring  the  automobile  for  you." 

' '  No,  not  yet.    Perhaps,  later  on. ' ' 

"Don't  you  think  you  ought  to  come  now?" 
pleaded  Forrest  in  a  softer  tone. 

"No— no— " 

"I  thought,  maybe,  you  would  like  to  look 
after  the  baby. ' ' 

"Of  course.  You  bundle  him  up  and  bring 
him  to  me." 

'  *  No.    I  want  you  to  come  there. ' ' 

The  thought  of  caring  for  a  baby,  and  espe- 
cially Forrest's  baby,  brought  a  happy  expres- 
sion into  her  dull  eyes.  But  she,  still,  shook  her 
head. 

"No,  Forrest.  I'm  not  just  ready  to  take  a 
journey  up  into  them  mountains." 

Forrest  swallowed  hard  to  keep  back  his 
grief. 

"You  just  go  back  and  take  good  care  of  that 
little  mother!  She  is  the  one  who  will  make 
your  world  go  round  and  round  on  a  pretty 
wheel  of  happiness." 

Forrest  well  knew  that  further  coaxing  to  get 
her  away  from  Cottage  Home  was  useless.  So 
he  left  her,  and  as  he  made  his  way  slowly  up 


HER  WILL  WAS  LAW  271 

the  mountain  road  toward  his  home  and  happi- 
ness, he  looked  back  and  watched  her  face 
against  the  window-pane,  until  tears, — perhaps 
distance — blended  all  into  obliteration.  His 
mind  was  too  troubled  to  determine  which. 

Dakota  waited  about  the  barnyard  until  For- 
rest had  gone,  then  returned  to  the  kitchen.  He 
crossed  to  the  stove  and  held  out  his  rough 
hands  ae  if  to  warm  them,  but  Mother  Lee  knew 
better. 

"Is  there  something  you  want,  'Decatur'?" 

"  Yes,  I  want  you  to  go  to  the  hospital." 

"In  the  name  of  common  sense,  what  for?" 

"You're  sick,  ain't  you?" 

"Well— no!" 

"You  can't  walk,  can  you?" 

"Not  just  yet.  My  back  is  still  lame.  I'll 
be—" 

"No,  you  won't.  You  may  linger  months — 
years — in  that  chair.  Who  knows  ?  You  ought 
to  be  in  a  hospital  where  you  can  get  taken  care 
of." 

"That's  very  thoughtful  of  you,  son,  but  I'm 
far  from  being  helpless.  Frank  and  I  get  along 
very  nicely,  right  here." 

' '  That  ain't  the  most  that 's  on  my  mind. " 

"What  else?" 

"You've  got  to  shut  down  this  boarding 
house." 

* '  What  ?    Shut  out  my  people  ? ' ' 

"That's  it." 


272      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

"Not  much!  As  long  as  I  draw  breath,  that 
sign  hangs  over  my  door. ' ' 

"What  are  you  talking  about?  You  ain't 
drawn  a  working  breath  since  you  fell  and  hurt 
your  back,  and  there  ain't  enough  money  coming 
in  to  pay  your  taxes." 

1 '  Well,  what  of  it f  There  isn't  a  man  in  this 
country  who  won't  wait  until  I  can  pay." 

"No  use  arguing.  If  you'll  go  to  the  hos- 
pital, where  you'll  get  what  you  need,  we'll  sell 
this  place  and  have  some  ready  cash  to  pay 
your  bills." 

"Sell  Cottage  Home!" — Mother  Lee  growing 
white  with  anger.  "Let  me  see  the  colour  of 
the  man's  hair  who  would  dare  try  to  dicker 
with  me." 

"Ain't  no  better  than  any  other  land.  The 
lumber  people  want  it  so  they  can  have  a  front 
road.  Now  it  ain't  no  more  use  to  you,  and  we 
can  get  a  good  price." 

Mother  Lee  sat  immovable.  A  cloud  of  gloom 
floated  before  her  dim  eyes.  For  a  few  seconds 
she  had  never  seen  a  darker  cloud  cross  her  sky 
of  life — had  never  seen  a  more  threatening 
storm.  She  wavered  and  felt  that  she  would 
have  to  turn  back — that  it  was  more  than  she 
could  face.  But  something  arose  within  her. 
It  was  the  tide  of  her  past — the  tide  which  had 
always  carried  her  over.  With  all  her  possible 
energy  she  straightened  her  bent  shoulders  and 
said  in  a  clear  voice : 


HER  WILL  WAS  LAW  273 

"This  roof  is  paid  for— every  dollar  earned 
by  these  hands,  and  under  it  I'll  remain  until 
death  do  us  part." 

Dakota  was  too  angry  to  reply.  He  went  out, 
slamming  the  door  as  Frank  entered. 

"If  you  can  spare  a  loaf  of  bread,  go  put  it 
in  'DecaturV  wagon.  He's  mad  at  me." 

Frank  muttered  as  he  viciously  rammed  all 
the  bread  he  could  get  his  hands  on  into  a  flour 
sack  and  went  out. 

Mother  Lee  watched  Dakota  drive  out  of  the 
yard  and  out  of  sight.  She  watched  the  sun  go 
down  and  the  shadows  creep  slowly  over  the 
outside  world.  She  watched  Frank,  with  much 
protest,  carry  the  lantern  out  and  hang  it  on  the 
gate  post.  She  watched  it  flicker  in  the  wind 
until  he  drew  her  attention  to  a  bowl  of  coffee 
which  he  habitually  brought  to  her  many  times 
a  day.  Later,  she  let  him  drag  her  chair  over 
the  bare  floor  to  the  side  of  her  bed  where  the 
faint  rays  of  the  moon  shone  upon  it.  She 
heard  Frank  go  out,  as  he  always  did  at  that 
hour  when  his  work  was  finished,  to  take  his 
recreation  in  a  new  pool  room,  which  had  just 
been  opened  in  town. 

She  sat  motionless  without,  but  what  activity 
there  was  within !  A  life  so  filled  with  vitality 
— with  plans  and  desires  for  future  years. 
Something  suddenly  attracted  her  attention.  It 
was  the  same  little  figure  of  a  child  tripping 
down  on  the  moonbeams  from  the  sky. 


274      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

"Why  are  you  planning  so  much  for  them? 
We  need  you  to  plan  for  us.  Come  home  to  our 
garden.  It's  just  filled  with  children  like  me 
who  want  to  understand  your  stories,  and  want 
to  learn.  Come!  Come!  Come!" 

The  pleading  tone  of  the  child,  half -conquered 
Mother  Lee  but  she  feehly  put  out  her  hands, 
and  as  feebly  said : 

* '  No !  I  'm  not  yet  ready.  I  want  to  see  For- 
rest's  son,  and  see  that  old  Babe  is  put  in 
BardofPs  pasture." 

She  slowly  undressed,  crawled  into  bed  and 
shut  her  eyes  firmly  against  that  silent,  yet  won- 
derful message,  which  still  lingered  in  the  moon- 
light about  her  bed. 


"^W"     "W-ELLO,  Mother  Lee!" 
•         1       "Who  is  it?" 

*  *  Can 't  you  see  me  ?  " 
M         M      * '  No,  my  glasses  are  broken. ' ' 

"Why,  you  have  your  glasses  on ! " 

"I  must  have  been  dreaming" — taking  her 
glasses  off  and  cleaning  them.  Before  speak- 
ing she  replaced  them. 

"Now,  who  am  I?" 

A  tall,  straight  lad  stepped  closer  to  her. 

Mother  Lee  smiled. 

* '  You  're  young  Crawford. ' ' 

"That's  who  I  am." 

"And  now,  how  many  rungs  of  that  ladder 
have  you  climbed!" 

"I'm  finished  with  four  and  I  was  thinking 
I  could  run  five  and  six  together,  if  I  know  ex- 
actly who  the  girl  from  the  hill  is,  and  if  she's 
still  waiting." 

"Well,  she's  waiting,  all  right." 

"Tell  me  who  she  is." 

"Have  you  built  a  home  to  put  her  int" 

275 


276      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

"No,  I'd  like  to  see  her  first.  Maybe  she 
wouldn't  like  the  kind  I'd  build." 

"  Yes,  she  will,  but  she'll  not  let  you  know  her 
until  you  have  completed  your  work. ' ' 

Young  Crawford  began  whistling  cheerfully, 
then  stopped  abruptly,  and  added: 

"I'll  tell  you  who  I  wish  she  were." 

"Who?" 

"Anna  Ditmar.  She's  the  only  girl  I  know 
who  lives  in  the  hills." 

"You  don't  mean  Sam  Ditmar 's  baby  girl  I" 

"She's  no  baby — she's  seventeen  years  old." 

"Well,  do  you  think  you  care  enough  for  her 
to  marry  her,  if  she'd  let  you!" 

"You  bet  I  do —  If  I  thought  there  were  a 
chance — " 

"All  right,  young  fellow.  You  build  that 
home  and  I'll  fetch  you  two  together — where 
have  you  been  so  long?" 

"Working  for  Forrest." 

"How  is  he!" 

"Immense." 

"And  how's  Fern?" 

"She's  fine." 

"And  Pine?" 

"The  greatest  kid  baby  I've  ever  seen." 

"I  want  to  see  that  baby." 

"You're  going  to.  Perhaps  I  shouldn't 
have  told  you,  but  Forrest  has  planned  to  bring 
the  kid  in  on  the  tenth  of  June." 

"That  was  Forrest's  wedding  day — the  tenth 


HER  MIND'S  ACTIVITY  277 

of  June.  And  that  was  the  day  his  father  laid 
him  in  my  arms,  a  tiny  babe,  many  years  ago. ' ' 

Mother  Lee  drifted  into  memories,  brought 
back  by  young  Crawford's  standing  beside  her. 

"Well,  I'm  going  back  and  finish  my  job. 
Just  came  down  to  thank  you  and  have  you  help 
fix  it  with  the  girl  in  the  hills." 

"It  will  all  come  out  right.  It's  bound  to  if 
you  keep  on  as  you  have  been.  How  does  it 
look  up  where  you're  working?" 

* '  The  park  is  going  to  be  a  beauty.  That  mil- 
lion dollar  hotel  is  finished.  There  are  a  lot  of 
small  hotels  finished,  and  already  catching  the 
people." 

' '  Maybe  that 's  the  reason  the  Swedes  from  the 
stone  quarry  don't  come  here  any  more." 

"That's  it!  They  all  stop  at  the  'Horse- 
shoe.' " 

"Horse-shoe?" 

"Yes.    Don't  you  like  that  name?" 

"Well,  it's  not  very  appetizing,  do  you 
think?" 

' '  They  serve  nails,  compared  to  what  you  used 
to  give  us." 

* '  Used  to !  That 's  so.  I  haven 't  been  myself 
for  some  time,  but  I'll  soon  be  well  again  and 
the  boys  will  come  back.  Don't  they  like 
Frank's  cooking?" 

"Well,  yes,  when  he  cooks.  But — well — he 
told  them  not  to  come.  There  wasn't  much 
around  to  cook  since  you  have  been  laid  up. ' ' 


278       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

"Open  that  cellar  door." 

Young  Crawford,  obeying,  lifted  a  trap  door 
in  the  floor. 

'  *  Now  go  down  and  look  at  that  supply.  The 
shelves  are  full  of  gooseberry  jam  and  honey. 
In  the  farther  corner  you  will  see  a  wagon  load 
of  vegetables  that  'Decatur'  just  brought  in 
from  the  ranch." 

' '  Where  f    I  don 't  see  anything. ' ' 

"Maybe  it's  too  dark.    Take  a  lantern." 

"I  can  see." 

"Don't  contradict  me!  When  I  can't  see 
down  there,  you  can't." 

Young  Crawford  stood  bewildered.  At  last, 
feeling  that  he  must  act,  he  said : 

"I '11  strike  a  match." 

He  did  so,  across  the  damp  bricks,  and  as  it 
flickered,  he  saw  a  little  plainer.  But  empty 
shelves  and  an  empty  cellar,  with  a  few -decay- 
ing vegetables  lying  in  one  corner,  were  all  that 
met  his  gaze. 

"Now  go  and  tell  the  Swedes  at  the  stone- 
quarry  and  the  plaster-mills  that  Mother  Lee 
has  a  new  supply  and  plenty  for  all.  Tell  them 
to  come  back,  that  she  knows  what  they  like  best. 
Mother  Lee  will  cook  their  meals  and  mend  their 
clothes,  as  well  as  their  troubled  hearts.  She 
will  sweep  away  the  thorns  from  their  difficult 
paths  and  show  them  how  to  brave  a  storm. 
She  will  send  them  homemade  bread  as  soon  as  it 
is  baked.  She  will  shoo  the  flies  from  the  wan 


HER  MIND'S  ACTIVITY  279 

faces  of  the  typhoids  and  feed  them  milk.  First 
take  these  glasses  up  to  Brunell's  and  tell  him 
to  put  in  stronger  lenses  and  tack  it  on  to  my 
bill." 

She  heard,  more  than  she  saw,  the  boy  go  out 
and  she  heard  Frank  enter. 

*  'Any  one  for  dinner ! ' ' 

''No— don't  think  I'll  bother  with  a  fire." 

"No — don't.  Just  give  me  a  bowl  of  black 
coffee." 

"You  drink  too  much  coffee.  Why  don't  you 
eat!  Coffee  is  a  drug." 

1 '  Coffee  is  my  medicine  and  all  medicines  are 
drugs." 

Frank  handed  her  some  luke-warm  coffee  and 
said: 

"Here,  dip  this  bread  in  it." 

She  obeyed,  but  laid  the  soaked  bread  in  the 
saucer. 

"Eat  it,  why  don't  you?" 

"To-morrow  I  will.    What's  that  noise f" 

She  hesitated  and  listened. 

"It's  that  damn'd  mowing  machine  again." 

"It's  Forrest  cutting  the  lawn."  Her  face  lit 
up.  "He  never  forgets  me.  Never  forgets. 
No  matter  how  tired  he  is,  he  rides  down  on 
that  big  black  horse  and  cuts  the  grass." 

A  little  later,  she  was  greeting  Forrest,  who 
always  brought  a  radiance  of  new  light  to 
her. 

"Now,  you're  coming  home  with  me  to-day. 


280      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

No  more  putting  off , ' J — he  coaxed  with  his  cheek 
against  hers. 

"No,  Forrest,  not  to-day.  You  see,  the  men 
are  coming  down  to  board  with  me  again  and  I 
must  have  things  ready.  Go  down  in  the  cellar 
and  fetch  me  a  peck  of  potatoes  and  a  dozen 
ears  of  corn.  Then  I  want  you  to  go  down  to 
Homer 's  and  fetch  me  fifteen  cents'  worth  of 
beefsteak.  Now,  run  along!  Don't  stop  and 
tease  old  Grimes  in  the  'cooler.'  I'll  get  after 
the  Marshal  this  afternoon  and  have  Grimes  re- 
leased." 

Forrest  clung  desperately  to  Mother  Lee's 
hand. 

' '  What  ails  you  ?    Why  don 't  you  go  T ' 

"Yes,  Mother  Lee," — and  Forrest  arose  and 
left  the  kitchen.  He  felt  choked  and  bewildered. 
When  he  returned  he  was  relieved  to  find  that 
she  had  quite  forgotten  about  the  errand.  She 
sat  dozing  at  the  window. 

He  kissed  her  hands  and  pleaded  with  her  to 
lie  down. 

She  looked  blankly  at  him. 

*  *  What  for  ?  I  'm  not  tired.  I  '11  just  sit  here 
and  scrape  my  apple.  That  will  be  rest  enough 
until  after  supper." 

Forrest  placed  an  apple  in  her  hand  and  she 
fumbled  it  a  few  seconds,  then  unconsciously 
laid  it  on  the  window  sill. 

"Mother  Lee,  won't  you  come  home  with 
me!" 


HER  MIND'S  ACTIVITY  281 


if 


!No,  Forrest.  I'm  in  the  midst  of  my  mince- 
meat. I'll  promise  to  drive  up  in  a  day  or  so 
with  old  Babe  and  the  children. ' ' 

He  said  no  more,  but  kissed  her  hands — left 
her  and  slowly  made  his  way  up  the  mountain 
road.  He  looked  back  several  times  and  his 
heart  sank  at  the  thought  that  never  again  would 
he  see  Mother  Lee  standing,  waving  her  hand 
to  him. 

But  Mother  Lee  would  have  been  very  angry 
had  she  known  his  thoughts.  She  had  gone  out. 
She  stood  there  watching  him  out  of  sight 
through  the  eyes  of  her  still  active  brain,  much 
the  same  as  she  carried  on  the  rest  of  her  active 
life — cooking  supper — dishing  it  out  to  first  one, 
then  the  other — scolding  the  noisy  "  fledgelings  " 
at  her  feet — and  at  last  seating  herself  at  the 
window  when  her  day's  labour  was  at  an  end, 
telling  them  stories  until  the  usual  hour  had 
driven  them  to  bed. 

The  dragging  of  her  chair  over  the  kitchen 
floor  to  her  bedside  by  Frank,  who  always  re- 
ceived a  scolding  for  his  awkwardness,  and  the 
battle  of  the  moonbeam  children  that  came  trip- 
ping down  the  fantastic  light  to  tease  and  taunt 
her  until  she  grew  cross  and  sent  them  away, 
were  the  only  disturbing  elements  to  mar  the 
pleasure  of  her  daydreams. 

"No,  I'm  not  ready  to  come.  You  just  stand 
back  there  in  that  western  sky  and  when  I  get 
ready  I'll  come  in  the  buck-board  with  Babe  at 


282      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

the  helm.  You'll  see  us  coming  on  them  white 
clouds  and  don't  you  dare  advance  until  we  have 
crossed  the  top  of  Medicine  Bow  Range,  or  we 
might  change  our  minds  and  turn  back  again." 
She  smiled  as  she  saw  them  flutter  away 
obediently.  She  knew  that  her  word  was  law. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

MIGNONETTES 

"-m      JT OTHER    LEE!    Mother    Lee! 

%   /•      It's  the  tenth  of  June!    Here! 

^y  Open  your  arms !    I  want  you  to 

^  ^  Y  M  hold  my  baby !  I  want  your 
blessing,  too!" 

Mother  Lee  slowly  aroused  herself  from  her 
semi-sleep  and,  with  Forrest's  assistance,  held 
apart  her  arms.  She  feebly  cuddled  it  to  her 
breast  and  smiled  down  into  its  tiny  brown 
face. 

"He's  a  bright  little  shaver  and  I  know  he 
comes  from  the  great  tall  pines.  Go  put  him  in 
the  cradle  back  of  the  stove  and  Mother  Lee  will 
feed  him  and  watch  him  grow." 

As  she  spoke  she  pushed  the  child  gently  from 
her. 

Fern  stepped  toward  her  and  in  a  low,  sweet 
voice,  coaxed : 

"Mother  Lee,  we've  brought  the  automobile 
to  take  you  with  us.  Forrest  and  I  want  you 
to  see  the  little  home  your  mind  made  our  hands 
build." 

"Yes,  I'm  coming  to  see  it  and  to  see  every- 
body soon,  but  not  to-day." 

283 


284      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

A  knock  at  the  door  caused  Mother  Lee  to  turn 
her  attention  to  a  new-comer.  A  moment  later 
she  sniffed  the  air  and  said  impatiently: 

" Mignonettes!  It's  the  grave-yard  woman 
with  more  flowers.  Give  her  a  cup  of  coffee! 
It's  a  long  walk  over  the  hill. ' ' 

Mother  Lee  tried,  vainly,  to  see  the  old,  little 
woman  and  grew  angry  in  her  disappointment. 
She  turned  to  Forrest  and  said : 

1  'Take  these  spectacles  back  to  Brunell  and 
tell  him  to  put  the  old  lenses  in  again.  Be  sure 
he  scratches  it  off  my  bill." 

Forrest  took  the  glasses  and  went  out  onto  the 
porch.  He  stood  for  a  long  time  in  deep 
thought.  He  was  trying  to  contrive  some 
scheme  whereby  he  could  get  Mother  Lee  to  give 
up  her  lonely  life.  It  was  his  earnest  wish  to 
try  and  repay  her,  just  a  little,  for  all  she  had 
done  for  him.  He  was  at  a  complete  loss  how 
to  go  about  it.  He  grew  restless  and  returned 
to  the  kitchen.  He  handed  the  glasses  back  to 
Mother  Lee  and  assisted  her  in  putting  them  on. 

"I'm  sure  these  will  be  much  better!"  cring- 
ing a  little  at  his  lie,  but  he  knew  a  trip  to  the 
General  Store  would  not  have  improved  mat- 
ters. 

After  a  moment 's  testing  she  answered : 

"Of  course  they  are.  I  can  see  every  bit  of 
you. ' ' 

The  old,  little  woman  finished  sipping  her  cof- 
fee and  in  a  tired  whining  voice  said : 


MIGNONETTES  285 

"I — I  don't  think  I  shall  be  able  to  make  many 
more  trips — up  there — I'm  getting  pretty  well 
along  in  years." 

"Well,  in  the  long  run,  I  don't  think  it  will 
make  much  difference  to  the  part  of  us  which 
always  lives.  Clay  is  clay,  and  a  bed  is  a  bed. 
They  both  hold  our  tired,  unconscious  bodies, 
but  never  the  life  that  lives,  cloaked  in  this 
flesh  of  ours.  The  only  difference  is,  that  in 
the  former  we  just  live  in  a  longer  dream. ' ' 

*  *  That 's  very — comforting — Mother  Lee. 
Sometimes — I — feel  a  great — light — of  hope 
ahead." 

"What  you  see  is  the  horizon  of  your  new 
world.  You  and  I  are  in  the  same  boat.  We  're 
both  nigh  onto  the  end  of  our  earthly 
trails. ' ' 

* '  I  ex — pect  y — on  're  right.  I  re — alise  more 
— and — more  every  day.  But  what  worries  me 
— is,  who  will  put  flowers  on  my  grave?  I  have 
— no — body — left. ' ' 

11  You'll  never  stop  long  enough  to  see  what  is 
on  your  grave.  When  the  last  bugle  calls,  you  '11 
be  hustled  right  along  with  others,  never  stop- 
ping until  you've  crossed  Medicine  Bow  to  the 
depot  on  the  other  side.  And  I  suppose,  when 
you  get  settled  down,  St.  Peter  will  let  you  have 
your  old  job  back  again,  sprinkling  flowers  for 
the  angels  to  tread  upon." 

11 0 — h,  how  con — soling.  Will  I  meet  you 
there?" 


286      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

"Very  likely,  I'll  settle  in  another  Cottage 
Home  and  have  the  coffee  pot  on. ' ' 

"That  is  so — comforting — so — consoling." 

As  she  slowly  gained  her  feet  and  picked  up 
her  basket  of  flowers  she  added : 

' '  Well,  I  hope  I  can  live  long  enough  to  place 
flowers  on  your — dear — dear — grave." 

"Be  sure  they're  morning-glories  and  early 
ones,  or  I'll  never  see  them." 

"I — will — I — will" — and  the  door  closed  with 
such  gentleness  that  Mother  Lee  looked  up. 

"Did  she  go!" 

'  *  Yes, ' ' — answered  Forrest. 

"Why  didn't  she  take  the  odour  of  them  flow- 
ers with  her?" 

"We'll  air  the  room." 

Mother  Lee  lifted  her  face  to  the  cool  breeze 
and  smiled : 

"Spring  showers  bring  the  summer  flowers, 
and  the  summer  flowers  the  warm  sunshine. 
Flowers  were  intended  for  the  young — the  lovers 
— the  wedding  feasts.  Let  them  reign  where 
laughter  rings.  Let  them  lend  their  colour  and 
fragrance  to  the  scenes  of  merry-making.  Why 
sink  their  pearly  petals  into  the  cold,  lifeless 
clay  which  God  intended  should  be  unadorned." 

Mother  Lee  spoke  very  low  as  if  sinking  into 
deeper  thought. 

Forrest  looked  at  her.  He  was  used  to  her 
lofty  phrases,  sometimes  just  capped  with  a 
tinge  of  sarcasm ;  but  her  last  words  fell  like  a 


MIGNONETTES  287 

lash  across  his  chest  and  for  a  brief  moment  he 
would  have  gladly  exchanged  places  with  her,  if 
it  were  in  his  power  so  to  do,  that  he  might  re- 
pay her  for  the  happiness  she  had  bestowed 
upon  him. 

As  if  suddenly  revived  from  a  semi-stupor, 
Mother  Lee  started  up,  saying: 

*  *  Put  on  the  big  iron  pot.    We  '11  pop  corn  and 
tell  stories.    It's  too  dark  to  knit." 

" Mother  Lee,  can't  you  see  me!" 

*  *  Of  course,  child.    You  're  the  little  Fern  that 
Forrest  built  the  nest  for,  away  up  in  them 
mountains." 

"Yes,  but  what  colour  is  my  dress?" 

"Blue,  just  Jike  the  sky  and  your  eyes." 

Fern's  eyes  filled  with  tears  and  Forrest  drew 
her  away,  saying  cheerfully : 

"Come,  let  us  pop  the  corn." 

"No,  not  yet" — interrupted  Mother  Lee. 
"Wait  until  all  my  fledgelings  come  home  to 
roost." 

It  was  a  hard  task  for  Forrest  and  Fern  to 
return  to  their  home  and  leave  Mother  Lee. 
But  Forrest  had  his  work,  and  Fern,  her  baby, 
also  her  Mother  to  look  after.  Frank  was  cer- 
tain that  Mother  Lee  was  not  as  bad  off  as  they 
imagined.  Then  too,  never  a  day  passed  with- 
out a  caller. 

The  forest  was  in  its  most  gorgeous  costume 
of  autumn  colouring,  for  the  summer's  foliage 
had  faded  into  soft  mellowy  shades  and  the 


288      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

ripened  fruits  had  dropped  from  their  branches 
to  the  black  loamy  earth.  The  harvest  days 
were  over  and  the  big  silent  men  from  the  many 
ranches  came  up  from  the  lowlands,  and  passed 
Cottage  Home  on  their  way  to  the  elevators  and 
the  mills.  The  trappers  came  down  from  up 
North  for  their  winter's  provisions.  They  also 
passed,  on  their  way  to  the  station.  The  wood- 
choppers  came  down  out  of  the  dense  mountains 
with  their  heavy  loads  of  ties  and  went  on  down 
to  the  tracks.  The  Swedes,  from  the  stone- 
quarry  and  plaster-mills,  came  in  for  their  win- 
ter clothing.  But  the  nailed  gate  that  barred 
the  entrance  to  Cottage  Home  caused  them  all 
to  pass  and  repass. 

Frank  thought  it  best  to  nail  up  the  gate.  He 
was  tired  of  cooking.  His  chores  about  the 
pool-room  brought  in  enough  to  buy  flour  and 
coffee,  and  Maud  kept  him  supplied  with  but- 
ter and  eggs. 

It  was  all  right  because  Mother  Lee  did  not 
miss  her  patrons,  for  in  her  imagination  they 
still  came  and  went  and  came  again.  Besides, 
she  spent  much  of  her  time  nodding  in  her  chair. 

Everyone  thought  she  was  getting  better. 
They  marvelled  at  her  perseverance  and  will- 
power in  keeping  up. 

She  was  always  in  her  usual  good  humour  and 
was  never  bored  by  visitors.  She  was  always 
ready  to  talk  or  listen  and  if  she  were  not  advis- 
ing Rose,  Ida  or  Maud,  she  was  scolding  Sam  or 


MIGNONETTES  289 

Bob.  And  she  had  not  forgotten  her  promise  to 
Young  Crawford,  who  had  been  the  last  on  her 
list  to  turn  over  a  new  leaf. 

And  the  little  girl,  from  the  hills,  had  come 
voluntarily  to  Mother  Lee  and  whispered 
through  blushes : 

''You  fixed  up  a  match  between  Dad  and 
Mother,  now  fix  one  up  for  me." 

Then  Mother  Lee,  in  a  pretty  story,  told  of 
Young  Crawford's  success  as  a  man — the  good 
position  he  held  as  the  assistant  manager  of  the 
Million  Dollar  Hotel — how  he  had  been  saving 
up  for  a  home  and  was  now  looking  for  a  wife — 
and  that  she,  this  pretty  little  miss,  must  watch 
for  his  coming  and  welcome  him  with  her 
mother's  smile. 

"Oh,  you'll  like  him!    Everybody  does" 
Mother  Lee  firmly  said  as  she  ended  her  story 
and  felt  more  than  she  saw  the  soft  brown  hair 
of  Kose's  oldest  daughter  brush  her  cheeks  in 
a  sweet  young  caress. 

Mother  Lee  was  the  first  to  hear  the  laughter 
of  a  happy  pair  coming  upon  the  kitchen  porch. 

"That's  Young  Crawford  and  his  wife." 

"How  do  you  know?" — asked  Maud  curi- 
ously, who  had  been  sitting  most  of  the  day 
with  Mother  Lee. 

"The  step  of  youth — the  voice  of  youth — and 
that  promise  of  a  wedding,  to-day.  Another 
happy  tribute  to  the  memory  of  Cottage  Home. 


290      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

Ah,  now  the  leaves  of  its  book  are  almost  ended, 
yet  I  still  breathe  with  interest.  Ned  and  Ann ! 
I've  watched  them  grow  up.  Married  to-day! 
My,  how  fast  Old  Father  Time  is  preparing  for 
his  round-up." 

After  greeting  the  young  couple,  Maud  left  for 
home. 

Crawford  and  his  bride  sat  chatting  with 
Mother  Lee  and  cheering  her  until  Frank  re- 
turned from  his  chores  and  filled  their  place. 

Mother  Lee  nodded  in  her  chair  while  Frank 
heated  and  brought  her  a  bowl  of  coffee. 
With  the  clumsy  gentleness  of  his  rough  nature, 
he  assisted  her  to  lift  the  bowl  to  her  lips. 

' '  To-morrow  you  'd  better  stay  in  bed. ' ' 

He  dragged  her  chair  across  the  floor  into  the 
adjoining  room,  and  for  the  first  time  assisted 
her  to  undress. 

"The  world  to  me  has  always  been  a  glad, 
glad  place,  but  when  one's  body  is  tired  and 
worn-out  there  is  only  one  consolation !  Depart 
to  higher  spheres  where  await  rest  and  com- 
fort. Why  do  those  about  my  couch  weep  and 
call  me  back?  They  say  it's  because  of  their 
love.  Love!  But  if  they  only  knew  how  sor- 
rowful they  make  it,  they  would  rejoice  in- 
stead. '  ' 

Frank,  used  to  Mother  Lee's  constant  talking, 
had  gone  out,  slamming  the  door. 

The  rest  of  her  words  fell  unheard,  unheeded, 
until  her  eyes  closed  in  sleep. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

CBOSSING  MEDICINE  BOW 

0   hitch   up   Babe   to   the   buck- 
board!" 
Frank  stopped  at  the  door,  on 

his  way  out. 

"What  for!" — looking  curiously  at  her. 
* '  She 's  going  to  Bardoff  's  pasture. ' ' 
"Who's  going  to  take  her  there!    Bardoff 's 
gone  past." 

A  cunning  expression  came  into  Mother  Lee's 
eyes. 

"Young  Crawford  will  drive  her  up." 
*  *  Can 't  he  hitch  her  up  f    I  'm  late  now. ' ' 
"No,  I  want  you  to.    You  can  handle  her  bet- 
ter." 

Frank  left  and  was  on  the  verge  of  going  to 
the  pool-room,  indifferent  to  her  wants,  but  he 
finally  changed  his  mind  and  went  to  the  stable. 
He  led  Babe  forth  and  roughly  threw  the  har- 
ness over  her  back.  She  snorted  a  little  and 
looked  wildly  around.  It  was  an  unusual  feel- 
ing to  have  a  harness  slammed  on  her  so  reck- 
lessly and  she  wheeled  and  faced  the  intruder 
viciously.  But  Frank,  accustomed  to  horses, 
paid  no  attention  to  her  pranks  and  soon  had 

291 


her  hitched  and  tied  to  the  hitching  post.  He 
then  went  hurriedly  away,  over  the  hill,  down- 
town to  the  pool-room. 

Mother  Lee  smiled  with  satisfaction  as  she 
heard  the  wheels  of  the  buck-board  stop  before 
the  kitchen  door.  It  was  deeply  settled  in  her 
mind  that  she  would  take  the  trip  alone  with 
Babe.  They  would  go  far  up  into  that  dark  pine 
forest,  into  which  she  had  so  often  peered,  as 
she  stood  watching  many  sunsets,  golden  to  the 
deepest  of  red.  She  and  Babe  would  go  over 
that  trail  together  and  would  stop  and  visit 
along  the  way.  Forrest's  home!  Bardoff's 
ranch,  where  the  best  alfalfa  in  that  part  of  the 
country  grew. 

'  *  It  shall  be  our  vacation ! ' ' 

Hours  floated  by  on  wings  of  blackness.  The 
moon  tipped  its  silver  brim  over  the  edge  of  the 
window  sill.  Its  ghasty  light  penetrated  the  un- 
curtained window  into  the  room  and  stole  over 
the  bare  floor  until  it  just  touched  the  wooden 
bed.  It  crept  gradually  up  the  post  and  over 
the  white  counterpane  until  it  gently  kissed  the 
tranquil  face  of  Mother  Lee.  Then  as  if  not 
wanting  to  remain  it  stole  sorrowfully  back  and 
out  of  the  window  into  the  open  world  again. 

The  spirit  of  Mother  Lee  arose,  dressed  and 
walked  forth  in  a  beautiful  death  dream.  All 
alone  she  climbed  into  the  buck-board  and  com- 
manded as  she  took  up  the  lines : 

"Hetup,  Babe!" 


CROSSING  MEDICINE  BOW        293 

She  smiled  at  Babe's  cleverness;  who,  having 
grown  tired  of  being  tied  to  the  hitching  post 
had  nibbled  at  the  knot  until  she  had  regained 
her  freedom. 

"Het  up,  Babe!" — and  Mother  Lee  brought 
the  broken  whip  down  on  the  old  mare 's  back. 

Babe  shook  her  head  and  walked  down  the 
brick  driveway,  nibbling  here  and  there  at  the 
snow-drifts  as  she  went  along.  The  big  gate, 
which  had  been  blown  down  previously,  during  a 
blizzard,  lay  half  buried  in  a  snow  drift  and 
Babe,  deliberately,  pulled  the  buckboard  over 
it.  Upon  the  main  road  she  stopped  and 
thrust  her  ears  forward  as  if  debating  which 
direction  she  would  take. 

"Het  up,  Babe!" — and  Mother  Lee  pulled 
hard  on  the  lines.  *  *  We  're  going  to  drive  across 
them  mountains,  far  over  old  Medicine  Bow. 
Het  up !  It's  a  long  way  and  I'm  afraid  they'll 
wake  up  and  catch  us  and  fetch  us  back. ' ' 

Babe  started  on.  The  full,  cream-coloured 
moon  flooded  the  white  world  below  with  a  soft, 
brilliant  light.  The  mouth  of  the  canyon  was 
like  the  entrance  to  a  great  crystal  palace  all 
aglitter  with  diamond-dust.  Babe  stepped 
timidly  as  if  treading  on  unfamiliar  grounds. 
She  had  never  been  in  the  mountains  before. 

But  Mother  Lee  persistently  coaxed : 

"Het  up,  Babe!  You're  going  to  Bardoff's 
pasture  where  the  best  alfalfa  grows." 

Babe  quickened  her  steps  and  earnestly  began 


to  climb  on  up  the  steep  road.  Forgetful,  she 
stopped  to  nibble  at  the  tips  of  the  frost-bitten 
weeds.  The  Big  Thompson  was  like  a  mirror  of 
silence. 

' '  Listen !  Babe,  do  you  hear  the  tinkling  of 
them  millions  of  tiny  silver  bells?" 

But  Babe  only  heard  the  squeaking  of  the 
steel-tired  wheels  of  the  buckboard  breaking 
through  the  frost-crusted  ground. 

*  'Listen  to  the  strings  of  them  golden  harps ! ' ' 
— chanted  Mother  Lee. 

But  Babe  only  lowered  her  head  from  the  bit- 
ing winds  that  moaned  through  the  needle 
pointed  pines. 

"Look  ahead!  It  is  the  aisle  to  the  altar  of 
God.  See  them  white  harbingers  lined  up  on 
both  sides,  all  glittering  in  their  white  mantles 
of  snow.  Het  up,  Babe!  They  are  beckoning 
us  on." 

Babe  lowered  her  head,  still  more,  and  labori- 
ously climbed.  She  panted  and  staggered  at 
times,  the  bitter  cold  winds  pricking  at  her 
flesh.  But  still  responding  to  Mother  Lee 's  gen- 
tle urging,  she  continued,  slowly  and  steadily 
through  the  night 's  blizzard  until  she  reached  a 
big  gate  before  the  "Little  Brown  Castle  in  the 
Skies." 

"Wait  here,  Babe,  till  I  go  in  and  look  things 
over," — and  Mother  Lee  softly  entered  the  lit- 
tle brown  house  and  as  softly  stole  to  the  sleep- 
ing chamber  of  Forrest  and  Fern. 


CROSSING  MEDICINE  BOW       295 

*  *  Mother  Lee !  Mother  Lee !  You  have  come 
to  us  at  last." 

Forrest  was  wide  awake. 

"  Yes,  and  everything  is  as  I  wanted  it.  And 
you're  like  two  little  bugs  in  a  rug.  And  lit- 
tle Pine!  He  looks  so  selfish,  all  alone  in  his 
little  room.  Come,  come !  There  must  be  more 
fledgelings.  A  nest  must  have  more  than  one 
little  bird. " 

As  Mother  Lee  went  quietly  out,  she  hesitated 
before  another  door.  It  was  the  entrance  to  a 
sun  room,  where  lay  Mrs.  Dale. 

Old  Babe,  who  had  nervously  nibbled  the  ice 
and  snow  away  from  a  portion  of  the  gate-post, 
was  glad  to  move  on. 

Like  a  sudden  breeze  from  a  furnace,  the  air 
grew  warm  and  the  winds  no  longer  howled. 
The  great  fleecy  white  flakes  sifted  silently  down, 
forming  themselves  into  a  white  mantle  for  Babe 
and  the  buck-board. 

"Het  up,  Babe!  I'm  sure  there's  a  green 
field  ahead,  for  you.  Sure  enough!  The  bars 
of  Bardoff 's  gate  have  been  pushed  back  to  wel- 
come you!" 

Babe  plucked  up  her  ears,  quickened  her  pace 
through  the  barnyard,  and  sniffed  about  until 
she  reached  a  stack  of  green  alfalfa. 

"Now,  eat  your  fill  while  I  go  and  reconnoitre 
a  bit." 

On  the  velvet  wings  of  the  night,  Mother  Lee's 
spirit  was  wafted  away.  She  never  knew  how 


296      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

she  reached  the  sand-hills  in  the  valley,  below, 
so  easily,  nor  did  she  stop  to  analyse.  She  just 
entered  Sam  Ditmar's  home  and  rested  her  eyes 
upon  its  sleepers  with  satisfaction.  Rose  had  a 
smile  of  contentment  on  her  pretty  face  and  that 
was,  to  Mother  Lee,  the  best  evidence  of  a  happy 
household. 

1  'They '11  get  along  and  live  to  a  ripe  age." 

She  left  them  and  went  up  North  to  visit  Ida 
and  Bob. 

"That  was  a  good  match  1  made,"  she 
credited  herself  as  she  crouched  affectionately 
over  their  newly  born. 

"Lots  of  fledgelings.  Lots  of  little  chubby 
hands,  must  come  forth  from  this  well  made 
cradle," — she  whispered  as  she  fingered  its 
sides.  "Bob  has  certainly  intended  it  so;  he 
has  made  it  so  strong." 

She  smiled  as  she  left  them  sleeping,  Bob  on 
his  back,  singing  praises  in  loud  rattling  snores 
and  his  wife  cuddled  close  to  his  side. 

From  there,  she  went  to  visit  Maud  and 
"Homer  the  Great."  She  again  smiled  as 
she  entered  their  sleeping  room  and  saw 
Maud's  strong  arm  pillowing  Homer's  small 
head. 

He  looked  almost  like  a  child  in  her  arms. 

Then  Mother  Lee  stole  about  the  house,  not 
satisfied  until  she  had  searched  every  nook, 
every  drawer,  at  last  discovering  a  small  box 
tucked  far  back  in  a  clothes  press.  She  opened 


CBOSSING  MEDICINE  BOW        297 

it  and  found  the  object  of  her  search — some  tiny 
new  garments. 

"Lots  of  little  fellows,  'Homer  the  Great'! 
But  see  that  they  are  strong,  like  Maud." 

Mother  Lee  hurried  out  and  again  mounted 
the  wings  of  night,  with  one  trembling  desire,  to 
visit  "Prince"  Arthur  and  his  domain. 

She  found  him,  at  last,  settled  down  in  a  valley 
on  a  ranch,  with  prosperity  looming  up  every- 
where. His  lands  were  fertile  and  his  several 
flocks  of  shf?p.p  were  large  and  looked  fit  for  the 
market. 

She  entered  a  home,  well  furnished  and 
abundantly  stocked  with  provisions.  In  the  par- 
lour stood  "Prince"  Arthur 's  piano,  hand- 
somely decorated  with  a  scarf  of  hand  painted 
lilies  on  turquoise  coloured  plush.  From  the 
position  of  two  parlour  chairs,  Mother  Lee  knew 
how  the  evening  had  been  spent.  She  peeped 
into  a  darkened  room  where  an  elderly  woman 
lay  asleep.  She  admired  the  strong,  fine  fea- 
tures, but  stepped  forward,  in  her  surprise,  at 
the  sight  of  a  small  crib.  She  crossed  the  bed- 
room and  closely  scrutinised  a  tiny  face.  She 
felt  a  wave  of  disappointment  that  "Prince" 
Arthur  had  not  written  to  her  and  told  her  of 
the  glad  tidings. 

Then  she  hurried  to  "Prince"  Arthur's  bed 
and  leaned  far  over  to  peep  at  the  face  of  his 
sleeping  companion.  She  went  away,  satisfied 
that  the  slender  girl  wife  was  his  true  mate. 


298      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WOELD 

Far  across  the  broad,  open  country  she  made 
another  trip  and  entered  the  one  room,  almost 
empty  cabin  of  Dakota,  her  son.  There  was  not 
a  trace  of  comfort  to  be  seen.  A  hard,  straight 
bunk,  a  table,  a  stove  and  a  chair  constituted  the 
furnishings. 

She  looked  down,  a  little  sadly,  at  the  sleeping 
form  of  her  son. 

"Wake  up,  'Decatur!'  I've  come  to  turn 
over  Cottage  Home  to  you.  Keep  it  in  working 
order,  and  always  keep  open  its  doors!" 

Dakota  stirred  restlessly  upon  his  hard  pil- 
low, then  grunted  and  turned  his  face  toward 
the  log-wall. 

Mother  Lee,  a  little  curious,  searched  an  old 
trunk  that  she  had  once  owned. 

" Money!  Money!  Enough  to  keep  a  com- 
munity all  the  days  of  their  lives !  For  shame, 
1  Decatur ! '  For  shame !  Hoarding  was  not  in 
my  blood. ' ' 

She  floated  away  as  silently  as  she  had  come. 

"I'll  just  stop  in  and  take  a  look  at  the  old 
fossil's  tower  of  rest.  I'm  curious  to  know  how 
he  lived," — and  Mother  Lee  climbed  the  spiral 
stair  where  the  wind  whistled  and  moaned 
within,  where  bats  squealed,  and  owls  screeched 
and  the  spiders  had  built  their  webs. 

To  Mother  Lee,  it  was  too  much  like  witchery 
music.  She  turned  back  and  fled. 

"No  wonder  he  died.  No  wonder  they  call 
this  a  haunted  house." 


CROSSING  MEDICINE  BOW        299 

She  left,  as  hurriedly  as  she  had  come,  for  she 
wanted  to  take  a  squint  into  Bardoff's  home. 
She  stole  softly  up  and  peeped  through  a  win- 
dow. There  was  a  profound  bachelor  comfort, 
everywhere  she  looked.  A  pipe  and  tobacco,  a 
lamp  and  a  Police  Gazette  lay  upon  the  table. 
His  floor  was  carpeted.  His  bed  was  of  feathers 
and  his  blankets  were  of  wool. 

"God  love  him!'* — she  murmured,  as  she 
looked  upon  his  peaceful  countenance. 

"He  never  harmed  anyone,  not  even  himself, ' ' 
— was  her  consoling  remark  as  she  finished  her 
rounds. 

"Well,  Babe,  you  surely  have  had  your  fill. 
We  must  be  moving  on,  before  daylight  comes, 
or  they'll  catch  us  and  fetch  us  back." 

But  Mother  Lee  found  Babe's  silent  body  ly- 
ing between  the  shafts  of  the  buck-board,  com- 
pletely covered  with  a  mantle  of  snow. 

"Wake  up,  Babe !    We  must  be  moving  on ! " 

Mother  Lee  climbed  into  the  buck-board  and 
after  wrapping  her  cloak  of  snow  about  her,  she 
smiled. 

"Hetup,  Babe!  Het  up!"— taking  hold  of 
the  lines. 

The  snow  flakes  lessened  and  gradually 
stopped.  The  moon  reappeared,  and  down  its 
silver  path  came  a  band  of  happy  moon-beam 
children. 

"We'll  get  her  up,  Mother  Lee.  You  hold 
fast  to  the  lines." 


300      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

With  crystal  prism-sticks,  they  playfully 
crawled  over  Babe 's  stark  form,  stretched  out  in 
the  snow. 

"Don't  hit  her!  Just  poke  her  gently," — 
called  out  Mother  Lee. 

But  only  the  spirit  of  Babe  arose  slowly. 
She  shook  her  harness  until  the  snow  fell  like  a 
sheet  of  silver — scattering  the  laughing  children 
in  all  directions — then  started  out  on  a  pair  of 
wings.  Mountains  and  valleys  were  fast  disap- 
pearing. Mother  Lee  in  the  buck-board  saw 
that  they  were  travelling  on  fleecy  white  clouds. 
Laughing  and  chatting,  some  of  the  children 
were  running  along  at  full  speed,  while  others, 
much  smaller,  clung  to  Mother  Lee. 

"Where  is  Babe  going?  Is  there  water 
ahead!" 

'  *  Oh,  yes !    There  is  a  river  we  must  ford. ' ' 

"A  river!  Hold  on,  Babe!  You're  entirely 
too  f risky, " — and  Mother  Lee  pulled  on  the 
lines. 

"Where  is  the  snow?" 

"All  gone!  Summer  is  here !  Listen  to  the 
bees !  Listen  to  the  birds !  See  the  flowers ! ' ' 

"What  river  is  this?"  asked  Mother  Lee  in- 
different to  their  joyous  cries. 

They  had  come  to  a  small  river. 

"It's  not  the  Big  Thompson!" 

Silvery  laughter  rippled  from  many  rosy  lips. 

"It's  the  river  Jordan  which  we  must  ford. 
What  fun !  And  we  are  your  moon- 


CROSSING  MEDICINE  BOW       301 

beam  children,  who  have  caught  you  at  last  in 
our  diamond  web. ' ' 

Mother  Lee  tried  to  look  back  but  the  moon- 
children  obstructed  her  view. 

"They  are  no  longer  your  fledgelings.  They 
have  all  grown  up.  We  are  your  future 
fledgelings.  We  want  your  stories  and  your 
pop-corn.  Come  on!  Come  on!  Come  on !" 

They  had  reached  the  edge  of  the  river. 

Babe  put  forward  her  ears.  With  satisfac- 
tion she  waded  in,  while  Mother  Lee  held  fast  to 
the  lines.  Babe  nosed  the  clear  sparkling  water, 
then  went  down  on  her  knees  and  took  her  bath 
while  the  children  frolicked  and  waded  about. 
She  then  carried  them  all  safely  across. 

The  western  sky  opened.  The  golden  gates 
swung  back  and  a  thousand  chubby  arms 
stretched  forward  in  welcome. 

"Mother  Lee!  Mother  Lee!  At  last  you 
have  come!" — welcomed  the  moon-children 
within. 

"Close  the  gates  quickly  or  we  may  lose  her 
again !" 

There  was  a  happy  flutter  and  the  great 
golden  gates  were  closed  with  a  musical  slam, 
and  Mother  Lee  was  almost  smothered  with 
kisses. 

Babe  with  no  effort  whatever  carried  them 
over  green  fertile  valleys,  and  to  a  large  smooth 
plateau  of  land  where  stood  another  Cottage 
Home. 


302       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

Mother  Lee  entered  the  kitchen,  glad  that  her 
journey  was  at  an  end. 

"Go  fetch  a  chair  and  my  knitting.  Put  on 
the  golden  pot!  We'll  have  pop-corn  and  I'll 
tell  you.  a  story  while  I  rest  my  weary  bones. ' ' 

Her  heart  was  overflowing  with  her  new  born 
joys  and  comforts  and  the  satisfaction  that  she 
could  go  on  with  her  work.  She  watched  the 
happy  children  go  laughingly  about,  ever  alert 
to  do  her  bidding. 

"Did  Babe  find  the  alfalfa  field?"  and  Mother 
Lee  pushed  open  the  shutter. 

"  There  she  is,  with  her  sides  bulged  out  like 
balloons.  Go  fetch  her  into  the  stable!  She 
never  did  know  when  she  had  enough. ' ' 

The  corn  was  popped  and  the  story  told,  and 
Mother  Lee  stood  up. 

"Come!  Scamper!  It's  most  supper  time. 
There's  sure  to  be  someone  coming  along, 
hungry.  Who  is  that  coming  now!"  and  she 
peered  out  of  the  door. 

"Well  I'll  be  switched  if  it  isn't  Old  Dave. 
Here  you  little  shaver,  with  them  golden  locks ! 
Go  fetch  me  a  pitch  knot  and  we'll  have  every- 
thing going  in  a  jiffy ! ' ' 


EPILOGUE 

The  morning's  sun  came  up  clear  and  bright 
from  behind  the  frozen  crested  horizon  and  sent 
a  blinding  glare,  far  and  wide,  over  the  world 
and  aroused  from  their  sleep,  both  man  and 
beast. 

White,  glittering  moulds,  prominent  here  and 
there  on  the  surface  of  the  wide,  open  country, 
were  the  only  marks  of  distinction  to  show  the 
various  ranches  that  lay  almost  buried  beneath 
the  snow,  for  the  night  had  produced  one  of  the 
fiercest  blizzards  of  the  year. 

BardofPs  door  opened  and  he  tunneled  his 
way  to  the  barn,  then  to  the  stack  in  the  barnyard 
where  he  found  Babe  lying  dead  between  the 
shafts  of  the  buck-board.  A  large  hole  had  been 
eaten  into  the  stack  of  green  alfalfa.  It  deliv- 
ered a  strange,  startling  message  to  him.  He 
examined  the  dead  mare. 

1  'Colic!  "he  muttered. 

He  shoveled  away  the  snow  from  and  about 
the  buck-board,  half  expecting  to  find  the  body 
of  Mother  Lee. 

* '  What  does  it  mean  ?  "  he  asked  himself. 

The  question  drove  him  quickly  to  his  cabin 
and  into  his  fur-lined  coat  and  over-shoes,  and 

303 


304      THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

then  back  to  the  barn  where  he  hitched  up  his 
team. 

He  hurried  to  Forrest's  home  and  related  the 
happening. 

Could  it  be  possible  that  she  had,  during  one 
of  her  moods,  started  out  alone,  and 

Neither  finished  the  thought-sentence. 

Forrest's  face  turned  livid. 

"Strange — I  dreamed  she  was  here — or  was  I 
awake  ? ' ' 

He  said  no  more  but  saddled  his  horse  and 
dashed  off  down  the  canyon  road,  wading 
through  snow  drifts,  sliding  and  slipping,  at 
times,  down  the  steep  descent,  with  but  one 
thought.  If  he  could  not  find  her  within  Cot- 
tage Home,  it  was  true,  then,  that  she  started 
out  alone. 

He  reached  the  bottom  of  the  canyon  and  as 
he  made  his  way  along  the  brick  drive-way  he 
saw  a  group  of  men  standing  on  the  porch.  He 
knew  that  something  had  happened.  He  set  his 
jaws,  closed  his  eyes  and  for  a  moment  felt 
dazed.  Then  came  a  voice  like  the  voice  of 
Mother  Lee : 

"Your  father,  with  his  own  hands,  all  alone, 
chiseled  out  a  log  and  buried  your  mother. 
Now  let's  see  you  show  some  of  your  father's 
gumption." 

At  the  kitchen  door,  where  he  dismounted,  he 
met  Maud,  whose  eyes  were  swollen  and  red. 
He  choked,  swallowed  hard  but  went  into  the 


EPILOGUE  305 

big  corner  room.  He  sank  upon  his  knees  and 
wept  like  a  child;  then  sat  back  and  bowed  his 
head. 

More  people  came,  and  by  noon  Cottage  Home 
was  life  again. 

Fern  coaxed  Forrest  from  the  room  as 
Bardoff  drove  into  the  yard  with  the  same  little 
undertaker. 

Knowing  that  Mother  Lee  never  liked  tears, 
sad  faces  nor  commotions  of  any  sort,  there  was 
a  quietude  and  regularity  for  the  next  three 
days.  Wagons  drove  into  the  yard  and  drove 
out  again,  came  back  and  went.  Maud,  Rose 
and  Ida  cooked  the  meals  and  sat  in  the  kitchen 
telling  one  another  over  again,  all  the  good 
qualities  they  already  knew  about  Mother  Lee. 

At  the  close  of  the  third  day,  with  sad  faces 
and  heavy  hearts,  a  long  caravan  of  mourners, 
in  farm  wagons,  buck-boards,  carts,  some  on 
horseback,  some  on  foot,  followed  a  hearse  over 
the  hill  to  the  little  clay  cemetery. 

A  month  passed,  then  two,  then  three,  April 
opened  its  gates  to  a  new  spring. 

The  little  woman  with  the  basket  of  flowers, 
watched  with  interest  Cottage  Home.  From  it 
she  saw  Frank  carry  his  belongings  to  a  shack 
in  the  rear  of  the  pool-room.  Later,  she  saw 
Dakota  with  several  men  surveying  the  property 
and  later  still  she  missed  the  white  picket  fence. 


306       THE  EDGE  OF  THE  WORLD 

One  day  as  she  passed  on  her  way  to  the  ceme- 
tery she  saw  that  Cottage  Home  had  been  turned 
into  a  busy  saw-mill.  The  buzzing  saws  and 
heavy  machinery  shook  its  walls.  Piles  of  lum- 
ber covered  the  once  smooth  lawn.  She  sighed 
a  little  as  she  hurried  on,  whining : 

"I'm  sure — when  I  meet  her — on  the  other 
side  of  Medicine  Bow — and  I  tell  her  all  that  has 
happened — I'm  sure  she  will  be  satisfied — for 
she  did  always  like  to  see  things  moving — and  in 
perfect  working  order. " 


THE  END 


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